Mourinho reportedly signs three-year contract to become Real Madrid manager for the second time

Jose Mourinho is set to replace Real Madrid's interim coach Alvaro Arbeloa, who took over from Xabi Alonso in January. However, Arbeloa could not steer the team to a trophy-winning season.

In the UEFA Champions League, the record champions were knocked out in the quarter-finals by Bayern Munich. Domestically, they lost the title to their arch-rivals FC Barcelona, with the Catalans finishing eight points ahead of Real in the final LaLiga table.

Mourinho most recently managed Benfica, after being sacked by Turkish runners-up Fenerbahce. His contract in Lisbon was initially due to run until summer 2027, but thanks to a release clause reported to be worth just three million euros, the move to the Bernabeu was relatively uncomplicated.

On Friday, transfer expert David Ornstein from The Athletic reported that negotiations between the star coach and Real had been successful. According to the report, Mourinho has signed a three-year deal. His annual salary is rumoured to be 12 million euros gross.

Mourinho's second stint in Madrid

This will be Mourinho's second stint in Madrid. Between 2010 and 2013, he was in charge of the Galacticos, averaging 2.3 points per game in 178 competitive matches, and in his debut season 2010/11, he won the Spanish league title. However, the longed-for Champions League triumph eluded him.

Real Madrid are currently in a sporting crisis. Alonso was brought in last summer as a beacon of hope, but Leverkusen's title-winning coach could not win over the superstars, including Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe.

The internal unrest persisted even after his dismissal. An online petition, which has now been signed several million times, is calling for Mbappe's departure. Additionally, at the beginning of May, there was a serious altercation between Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni, with the Uruguayan having to be treated in the emergency room after being struck by his teammate.

On top of this, President Florentino Perez is facing criticism. The 79-year-old categorically rejected the idea of stepping down and will stand for re-election on June 7th. Perez is aiming for his seventh term in office.

Mourinho is set to be announced as the new head coach after the elections are over.