Toluwani Lasisi
José Mourinho is back as Real Madrid manager, but he faces a massive challenge in his second spell at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Real Madrid is coming off a disastrous, trophyless season.
The club went through two managers—Xabi Alonso and Álvaro Arbeloa—in a single campaign, got knocked out of the Champions League early, lost the league to Barcelona, and suffered dressing room turmoil.
During Mourinho’s first spell at Real Madrid from 2010 to 2013, he was handed a peak Cristiano Ronaldo.
This time around, Mourinho is tasked with getting the very best out of Madrid’s modern superstar attack featuring Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior.
Mourinho returns to a La Liga where Barcelona has once again established dominance, reclaiming the league title and forcing Real Madrid to play catch-up under fresh rival leadership.
With the 2026 FIFA World Cup taking place over the summer, Mourinho has to begin his pre-season rebuild with players returning late from international duty and new summer signings joining the squad.
The 63-year-old manager brings a legendary resume back to Madrid, having won trophies across Europe with Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan, Manchester United, AS Roma, Fenerbahçe, and Benfica.
Now, all eyes are on the Santiago Bernabéu. Fans are eager to see if Mourinho can bring back the magic, defeat his biggest rivals, and deliver trophies to Real Madrid once again.
