José Mourinho Returns to Real Madrid: A New Era Begins

José Mourinho is officially back at work at Real Madrid – and he did not wait for the calendar to tell him when to start.

The Portuguese coach has already set up shop at Real Madrid City in Valdebebas, days before the squad’s scheduled return from holiday. On social media he posted an image from his first day as the club’s new manager, stamped with a terse, familiar message: “Let’s go!!”

No long speeches. Just a declaration of intent and the first marker of his second era in white.

An early start to a demanding second spell

The man from Setúbal returns to a club that has changed in shape and power structure since his first stint, but the expectations remain the same: win, and win quickly. His post radiated the kind of excitement and impatience that has followed him throughout his career, a mix of happiness at being back and a clear awareness of the challenges that await.

The official pre-season start date is set for Monday, July 13, when Valdebebas will begin to fill again. That opening session will feature the players who did not take part in the World Cup, giving Mourinho an early look at part of his new dressing room before the full international contingent filters back.

Names such as Dean Huijsen, Franco Mastantuono and Trent Alexander-Arnold are expected to report for medical examinations that day. For some, it will be a first real taste of life under Mourinho. For others, a chance to stake an early claim before the stars return and competition for places tightens.

The training pitches will still be relatively quiet. The work, though, has already started.

Khedira on the bench, not in midfield

Behind the scenes, Mourinho has moved quickly to assemble a backroom team built around trust and familiarity. His staff for this season is now confirmed.

Joao Tralhao and Pedro Machado will join him as assistant coaches, part of the inner circle tasked with translating his ideas from meeting room to training ground. Alongside them, a notable name returns to Madrid in a very different role: Sami Khedira.

The former Real Madrid midfielder, once a key figure on the pitch during Mourinho’s first spell, now steps onto the other side of the white line as an assistant coach. His presence adds a direct link to that previous era – someone who knows the club, the training centre, the pressure, and the demands of the coach now leading the project again.

Physical preparation will fall under the command of Antonio Días, appointed as fitness coach, while Nuno Santos takes charge of the goalkeepers. Together, they form a staff built to impose structure from day one and to squeeze every drop out of a squad that will be expected to compete on all fronts.

The holidays are not yet over for most of the players. For Mourinho and his chosen lieutenants, though, the clock has already started ticking on a second spell that will be judged, as always at Real Madrid, by what ends up in the trophy cabinet.