Jose Mourinho Returns to Real Madrid Seeking Third Champions League Title

Jose Mourinho has returned to Real Madrid for the 2026 season following the firing of Xabi Alonso after just six months in charge.

Jose Mourinho has returned to Real Madrid for the 2026 season, replacing Xabi Alonso who was fired after a six-month tenure marked by strained relationships with senior players. The 63-year-old coach, who previously managed the club from 2010 to 2013, aims to secure Madrid's 16th UEFA Champions League title at the final scheduled for June 5 at Atletico’s Metropolitano stadium. A victory would mark Mourinho's first Champions League trophy since his 2010 win with Inter Milan and his first domestic league title since the 2014-15 Premier League with Chelsea.

Mark Ogden reports that Mourinho inherits a squad featuring attacking players Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior, Yan Diomande, and Jude Bellingham, alongside goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. The appointment follows Mourinho's recent stints at Fenerbahce, where he was fired in 2024-25, and a subsequent brief period at Benfica. While peers such as Pep Guardiola, Zinedine Zidane, Carlo Ancelotti, and Jurgen Klopp are currently out of the club game, Mourinho remains active alongside Paris Saint-Germain’s Luis Enrique.

During his first three-year stint at the Bernabeu, Mourinho won one LaLiga title and one Copa del Rey before departing following conflicts with Cristiano Ronaldo, Iker Casillas, and Sergio Ramos. His career since 2013 includes a UEFA Europa League and EFL Cup at Manchester United in 2016-17, as well as the 2021-22 UEFA Conference League title with AS Roma. Real Madrid president Florentino Perez reappointed Mourinho to provide a more robust defensive structure than that implemented by predecessors Alonso or Alvaro Arbeloa.