Mourinho Returns to the Santiago Bernabeu

After two seasons without a major trophy, Real Madrid have turned to a familiar face to restore order: Jose Mourinho. The Portuguese coach, who previously managed the club from 2010 to 2013, was reappointed on June 11 following an in-depth review that sought to identify both past successes and mistakes at the club. His return comes as Madrid look to bounce back from a disappointing campaign that saw them left with no real chance of winning La Liga months before the season ended.

The 63-year-old arrives from Benfica, where he spent last season, and has been backed with the club's biggest summer spend since 2019. Madrid have committed approximately €250million (£214m; $292m) on reinforcements, signalling clear intent that the demands at the Bernabeu remain as high as ever.

Both Mourinho and the club believe they have assembled a squad capable of competing for every trophy on offer: La Liga, the Copa del Rey, the Supercopa de Espana, and the Champions League. Their view is that every position is now covered by at least two players.

A Major Overhaul of the Squad

Mourinho and Madrid's hierarchy agreed on the need to address several key areas: a second-choice right-back to provide competition for Trent Alexander-Arnold, at least one dominant centre-back, a starting left-back, and a creative midfielder. While not a priority, the manager also wanted a 'pure No 9'.

The results of that strategy are clear in the summer's business:

• Denzel Dumfries — signed from Inter for €25m to provide right-back depth
• Ibrahima Konate — arrived on a free transfer to bolster the centre of defence
• Marc Cucurella — brought in from Chelsea for €55m plus €5m in add-ons as the starting left-back
• Bernardo Silva — joined on a free transfer to add creativity in midfield
• Yan Diomande — signed from RB Leipzig for €125m plus €15m in add-ons, which would make him Madrid's record signing. The Ivorian was brought in to boost the team's attacking threat down the right flank, which had been heavily concentrated on the left where Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham all operate
• Carlos Espi — arrived from Levante for €25m as the 'pure No 9' Mourinho desired, with Gonzalo Garcia leaving to join Alvaro Arbeloa's Fulham to make room

One of the most significant developments of the summer was Vinicius Jr renewing his contract until 2032, amid interest from Arsenal. The Brazilian's long-term commitment is a major boost for Mourinho's project.

Still in the Market

Despite the extensive spending, Mourinho remains keen for the club to sign another centre-back and another midfielder before the transfer window closes. However, Madrid's message in internal meetings has been clear: the 25 senior squad places available under La Liga's regulations are already filled.

Academy graduate Thiago Pitarch, who turned 19 this month, has been promoted from the reserves and is listed on the club's website as part of the first-team midfield. For any new arrival, someone else would need to depart. Madrid reportedly have potential targets on their radar should that situation arise.

Behind the Scenes: Staff and Medical Overhaul

Mourinho has been deeply involved across multiple departments since his appointment, and the changes have been extensive. He has brought in seven specialists, some from his previous job at Benfica.

Joao Tralhao returns as his assistant coach, and Pedro Machado has also followed from Lisbon. Former Germany midfielder Sami Khedira, who played under Mourinho during his first spell at Madrid, joins as a new addition to the coaching staff in what is the 39-year-old's first coaching role.

The support staff changes include Nuno Santos as the new goalkeeping coach, Antonio Dias as the new fitness coach — who will work alongside the long-serving Antonio Pintus — Sandro Carrico in sports sciences, and Roberto Merella as head analyst.

The medical department has also undergone significant changes in response to the injury problems that have plagued the squad in recent seasons. Felipe Segura, who had replaced Niko Mihic as head of medical services in November 2023 before being sidelined in December 2025 by Mihic himself, has now left. Manuel Arroyo, who joined in 2025, has resigned, while Alexandre Creuze, formerly at Monaco, has been hired. Physiotherapist Jose Carlos Parrales and fitness coach Sebastien Devillaz have also departed. Devillaz was notably the person closest to Mbappe on a day-to-day basis alongside Guillermo Zurdo, and worked with the Frenchman individually during the holidays this summer after leaving Madrid.

Arda Guler: The Pre-Season Sensation

One of the most intriguing storylines of pre-season has been the performances of Arda Guler. The 21-year-old Turkey midfielder has been in scintillating form, prompting debate over where he fits into a starting XI that already includes Mbappe, Bellingham, Vinicius Jr and Diomande as expected starters.

Guler has Mourinho's backing and is regarded by Madrid's board as key to giving structure and direction to the team's play with his touch, vision, and great connection with Mbappe. There is a growing belief internally that Guler could become a regular by Christmas, potentially at the expense of one of the team's so-called 'undisputed' starters.

Healing Old Wounds

One of Mourinho's primary objectives is to foster a better daily culture at the club — one with greater competitiveness, harmony, and ultimately better results. Last season's failure to compete for La Liga created tensions that grew behind the scenes and boiled over publicly.

Those tensions came to a head in a training ground fight between Aurelien Tchouameni and Federico Valverde, days before El Clasico in May. When asked about the tensions in his pre-match press conference on Friday, Mourinho offered a reassuring assessment:

"If you see it now, you can't even imagine what happened last season. What I've seen isn't even peace — it's friendship, cooperation. It's as if nothing had happened."

Mourinho's Commitment

Sources close to Mourinho say he is very excited about this second chapter at Real Madrid. He feels he has a strong staff to work alongside the existing personnel at the club and a squad capable of delivering on his vision.

His commitment has been total — Mourinho has been sleeping at the training ground on several occasions to ensure he has time for all the tasks he wants to accomplish. He is fully up to speed with everything across all departments, just as he was during his previous spell. The practice is not new for the Portuguese coach, who also slept at Benfica's training ground at times last season.

What's Next?

Madrid's season begins with a trip to Espanyol in La Liga on Saturday. When asked about his starting XI, Mourinho joked with reporters:

"Let's see who has the best contact. The players already know who's playing. I'm not someone who hides things. Maybe in a couple of hours your information will arrive, but I'm not going to tell you. But to answer your question about whether I have an ideal XI: I don't have one, or I don't want to have one."

After making Mourinho their third managerial appointment in just over a year, everyone at the club will be hoping he can bring the stability and success that eluded his predecessors, Xabi Alonso and Arbeloa. As they both discovered, good results and competing for silverware matter most at Real Madrid — a club that has never shied away from ruthless decisions.