Real Madrid is back Jose Mourinho The Spanish powerhouse announced on Thursday that he will take up his second stint, some 13 years after leaving the club.
The Portuguese coach will join on a three-year contract and will officially take over as manager on July 13, when pre-season begins, the club announced.
When Mourinho first took charge of Madrid from 2010 to 2013, no Spaniard remained indifferent to his scathing but undoubtedly successful managerial style.
In his first appearance, he led Madrid to the Spanish league title and the Copa del Rey. However, his confrontational personality is well known for resulting in his team splitting up and alienating all but the most ardent fans and much of the local media.
He will now take over an underperforming team and rejoin a club in turmoil.
Madrid have not won a major title in the last two years with superstar striker Kylian Mbappé. The club went through Xabi Alonso and two coaches. Alvaro Arbeloa This season.
The player who won the European Cup a record 15 times has also been bewildered by a series of unseemly incidents. there was battle between playersfans who heckle the team, and players who question Arbeloa’s decision.
Club president Florentino Perez held a press conference and announced that early elections would be held, further heightening the club’s sense of crisis. he won it afterwardsmeanwhile blow up the media for what he considered a campaign to force his resignation.
Perez’s re-election paved the way for Mourinho’s return.
Mourinho’s first stint intensifies rivalry with Barcelona
Mourinho famously declared himself a “special person” when he took over as Chelsea manager more than 20 years ago, leading FC Porto to a surprising Champions League title in 2004.
He lived up to that proud claim, leading Chelsea to the Premier League championship and Inter Milan to the Champions League title in 2010, defeating a seemingly unstoppable Barcelona en route to the final.
This convinced Perez that Mourinho was the ideal manager to beat Barcelona, led by Josep Guardiola and Lionel Messi, in La Liga.
The rivalry between Mourinho and Guardiola has taken the feud between the two clubs to new heights.
After the 2011 defeat to Barcelona, Mourinho infuriated Barcelona supporters and many neutrals by claiming that Barcelona were supported by the referees and saying it would be a “disgrace” for them to win the Champions League like Guardiola. Mourinho assaulted Guardiola’s assistant coach later that year by stabbing him in the eye during a scuffle between the teams.
However, after winning the La Liga title in 2012, Madrid and Mourinho parted ways in 2013 with three years left on his contract. It follows a shock defeat to Atlético Madrid in the Copa del Rey final and media reports that he had fallen out with several of his players, including fan favorite Iker Casillas.
Mourinho may not be special anymore
Mourinho, now 63, has lost his position as a back-to-back champion who only coaches elite clubs.
His brilliant career was overshadowed after a disappointing spell at Manchester United between 2016 and 2018. Since then, he has coached Tottenham, Roma, Fenerbahce and last season, Benfica.
His only trophy since leaving United was the 2022 Conference League in Europe’s third tier, which he won with Roma.
But Perez believes Mourinho’s experience and strong personality are exactly what Madrid need to counter Barcelona, who have once again become dominant thanks to new talisman Lamine Yamal.
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