MADRID: Jose Mourinho has agreed to return to Real Madrid on a two-year deal, sources have told ESPN, with the veteran manager set for a second spell at the Santiago Bernabéu.
The 63-year-old is due to take over from Alvaro Arbeloa, who stepped in earlier this year after Xabi Alonso left.
Sources have informed us that Mourinho and Madrid have reached an agreement, but they have yet to sign the contract.
Mourinho is now at Benfica, where he has led the club through an unbeaten domestic league campaign this season. For Benfica, the strong run just fell short of a Portuguese league title.
And the Portuguese club is said to be set to receive around €7 million in compensation, as Mourinho still has a contract running until 2027.
Real Madrid had apparently considered a string of high-profile candidates for the manager’s job, including Jurgen Klopp, Didier Deschamps and Mauricio Pochettino.
But club president Florentino Pérez is understood to have backed Mourinho as the right man to revive Madrid after two disappointing seasons without a major trophy.
Madrid trail La Liga leaders Barcelona by 11 points with one game remaining, and their UEFA Champions League campaign ended in the quarter-finals against Bayern Munich.
Mourinho previously coached Real Madrid from 2010 to 2013, winning one La Liga title, one Copa del Rey and one Supercopa de España in a fiercely competitive era dominated by Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona.
Mourinho has managed Chelsea, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Roma, Fenerbahçe and Benfica since he left Madrid in 2013.
Mourinho had himself hinted that a decision on his future was imminent after the end of Benfica’s season.
My future is going to be decided this week,” Mourinho said on Sunday, confirming that his agent Jorge Mendes has already been in touch with Real Madrid officials.
Read More: Pakistan steady after early blows in tough chase against Shan and Babar
