MADRID: Florentino Perez has been re-elected as president of Real Madrid by an overwhelming majority, setting the stage for Jose Mourinho to return as the club's manager. The 79-year-old Perez, who has served as president for 23 years across two separate terms, secured 65 percent of the votes to defeat his 37-year-old challenger, Enrique Riquelme, the club announced late Sunday.
Perez's Victory Speech
"We have won the elections and will continue working to keep winning titles," Perez said in his victory speech. The result means that Mourinho will be announced as Real Madrid's new manager as early as Monday. The 63-year-old Portuguese coach will return to the Santiago Bernabeu after last being in charge 13 years ago. Real Madrid is reportedly paying Mourinho's current club, Benfica, a release fee of 15 million euros ($17.25 million).
Stadium and Squad Pride
"We will continue to take pride in the Santiago Bernabeu stadium, the best stadium in the world," Perez added. "Proud to have the best players in the world, proud to welcome back one of the best coaches in the world, a Madridista like Jose Mourinho."
Mourinho's Previous Tenure
Mourinho first joined Real Madrid in 2010 and spent three seasons at the club. During his tenure, he won one La Liga championship, one Copa del Rey, and the Spanish Super Cup, all while engaging in a fierce rivalry with Pep Guardiola's Barcelona. Appointing the divisive Mourinho is a gamble for President Perez, especially after Los Blancos finished without a major trophy in the 2025/26 season, marking a second consecutive barren campaign.
Future Ambitions
"We will continue working so that Real Madrid keeps winning titles," said Perez. "And we will fight until the end to achieve the 16th European Cup." In a brief video shared on the official Instagram account of Perez's campaign last week, the Portuguese coach appeared wearing a Real Madrid shirt and simply said: "Yes."
