Jose Mourinho, Real Madrid Agree to Reunion With New Contract, Full Details Revealed

Real Madrid announced Thursday that José Mourinho is returning to the club as its manager.

The two sides agreed to a contract through the 2028-29 season. Mourinho will officially come aboard on July 13.

His return has been rumored for weeks. A final breakthrough may have been delayed by Real Madrid's presidential election.

Enrique Riquelme, who challenged Florentino Pérez for the role, signaled he wouldn't hire Mourinho if he won. He had his eyes on former Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp instead, which Klopp's agent dispelled.

Once Pérez won the election, Mourinho's path back to the dugout was clear.

The 63-year-old managed Real Madrid across three seasons from 2010-13. Los Merengues won the Copa del Rey in 2010-11 and were La Liga champions in 2011-12, becoming the first Spanish club to record 100 points in a season.

By Mourinho's third season, however, things completely unraveled. Following a similar pattern across his career, his approach eventually wore on everyone at the club.

Now, Real Madrid is getting a version of Mourinho that's even further from his peak. His last league title was in 2014-15 with Chelsea, and 16 years have passed since he guided Inter Milan to a Champions League triumph.

Hiring him a second time is basically Pérez's attempt to send a message to the dressing room.

The players never warmed to Xabi Alonso, who tried to implement a clear tactical plan far removed from what they had been accustomed to under Carlo Ancelotti. A clear leadership vacuum emerged.

For better or worse, Mourinho will be running the show at the Bernabéu. That could bring a level of discipline that was clearly lacking, or Madrid's crisis could deepen as the players rebel against yet another manager.

Either way, it will make for captivating drama.