Real Madrid have confirmed the return of Jose Mourinho as head coach, handing the 63-year-old a three-year contract ahead of pre-season training, which begins on 13 July.

To secure the deal, the Spanish giants paid Benfica £13 million (15 million euros) in compensation — marking Mourinho's long-awaited return to the Bernabeu more than a decade after his first spell at the club ended.

Perez keeps his promise

Club president Florentino Perez, 79, had publicly pledged to bring Mourinho back if he won re-election, and he followed through on that promise this month. Perez, who has held the presidency since 2009, defeated challenger Enrique Riquelme — a renewable energy magnate — by claiming 65 percent of the vote.

Mourinho's first stint and a storied career since

Mourinho's previous spell at Real Madrid began in 2010 and stretched across three seasons, delivering a La Liga title, a Copa del Rey, and a Spanish Super Cup. After leaving, he went on to manage Chelsea, Manchester United, and Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League, before later taking charge of Roma, Fenerbahce, and most recently Benfica.

In his sole season at Benfica, Mourinho guided the two-time European Cup winners through an unbeaten Liga Portugal campaign — an impressive achievement that nonetheless resulted in only a third-place finish in the table.

A club in need of silverware

Mourinho inherits a Real Madrid side that has gone two full seasons without lifting a trophy, giving him a clear mandate from the outset. The Portuguese coach's arrival will be seen as a statement of intent from a club determined to end that drought.

With Mourinho heading back to Madrid, Benfica moved quickly to name his successor, agreeing a deal this week with former Fulham manager Marco Silva to take over at the club.