Mourinho plans backroom overhaul to end Real Madrid's two-year trophy drought

José Mourinho is set to return to Real Madrid, and the change is extending beyond the dugout. ESPN reported on May 20 that the Spanish club is planning a series of behind-the-scenes changes alongside Mourinho’s arrival after two seasons without a major trophy. The report followed earlier ESPN reporting that Mourinho had agreed a two-year contract to take over at the Bernabeu. Real Madrid have not yet publicly confirmed the appointment, but multiple reports citing ESPN say an announcement is expected after the end of the LaLiga season. ### Why is Mourinho’s return being framed as more than a coaching change? ESPN reported on May 20 that Real Madrid are preparing structural changes behind the scenes as part of Mourinho’s arrival, not only a switch in head coach. The report said the club wants to end a two-year run without major silverware. That wording matters because the move is being presented as a broader reset inside the football operation. The available reporting does not spell out every role that could change, but it points to staff and roster decisions being tied to Mourinho’s return rather than handled separately. ### What has been reported about Mourinho’s deal? ESPN Brazil reported on May 18 that Mourinho had agreed a two-year contract to return to Real Madrid. Other outlets that matched the ESPN report said the move would bring Mourinho back 13 years after he left the club in 2013. Benfica is central to the timing because Mourinho spent the 2025-26 season there. ESPN previously reported in September 2025 that Benfica had appointed Mourinho on a provisional two-year deal, and newer reports say he has already informed the Portuguese club that he is leaving. ### Why are Real Madrid making the change now? Real Madrid finished the 2025-26 season without a major trophy, according to ESPN’s May 20 report and other season-end coverage. ESPN’s LaLiga standings page shows Madrid in second place behind Barcelona entering the final weekend of the league campaign. The club’s last scheduled league match is at home to Athletic Club on Saturday, May 23. Reports citing ESPN say Real Madrid planned to wait until the league season ended before making Mourinho’s return official. ### Who is Mourinho replacing? Alvaro Arbeloa has been identified in the recent reports as the coach Mourinho is expected to replace. The reporting around the appointment describes Mourinho as the choice to lead a rebuild after a disappointing season. Mourinho managed Real Madrid from 2010 to 2013 in his first spell. His return would bring back one of the club’s most high-profile former coaches at a point when Madrid is also expected to revisit staffing and squad planning. ### What could change behind the scenes? ESPN’s May 20 report said the club is plotting “major changes” with Mourinho’s arrival, but the public details remain limited. The clearest reported point is that the overhaul is expected to affect more than matchday tactics and lineup decisions. Transfer priorities could also be affected if Mourinho is given a central role in reshaping the squad. That has been a recurring theme in follow-up coverage of the ESPN report, although Real Madrid has not yet outlined any formal personnel plan. ### What happens next? Saturday, May 23, is the next fixed date in the story because Real Madrid host Athletic Club in their final LaLiga game of the 2025-26 season. Reports citing ESPN say the club is expected to announce Mourinho on Sunday or Monday after that match. The next concrete step after any announcement would be the club’s presentation of Mourinho and the naming of the staff around him. Real Madrid’s first official communication on the appointment is likely to set out the contract term, the transition from Benfica and any immediate backroom changes.