José Mourinho Begins Second Era at Real Madrid
José Mourinho has never been one for waiting around. Official preseason doesn’t start until next Monday, but the Portuguese coach has already walked through the doors of Real Madrid City and gone straight to work.
He marked the moment in typically direct fashion. A photo from Valdebebas on his social media, captioned with just two words: “Let’s go!!”. No grand speech, no long manifesto. A line in the sand and the beginning of his second spell in charge of Real Madrid.
This is the reboot. Same club, same demanding environment, but a very different context from his first tenure. The excitement is obvious; so is the weight of what lies ahead. Mourinho steps back into a dressing room and a fanbase that expect trophies, authority and instant clarity.
The players, though, will follow a different timetable. The real bustle at Valdebebas is set for Monday, July 13, when those who did not feature at the World Cup report for duty. That first group is expected to include Dean Huijsen, Franco Mastantuono and Trent Alexander-Arnold, among others, who will undergo medical examinations before the real football work begins.
While the squad filters back in stages, Mourinho has already locked in the team that will stand beside him on the touchline.
Khedira returns as part of Mourinho’s inner circle
One familiar face is back in white, but this time with a whistle rather than a shirt. Sami Khedira, a key figure in Mourinho’s first Madrid side, now joins the coaching staff as an assistant. The former midfielder steps into a new role at the club where he once patrolled the centre of the pitch, adding recent playing experience and a deep understanding of the institution to the technical team.
Khedira will work alongside Joao Tralhao and Pedro Machado, who also come in as assistant coaches, forming a close-knit group around the Portuguese manager. The structure is clear: Mourinho at the helm, flanked by trusted lieutenants tasked with translating his demands from meeting room to training pitch.
The backroom appointments continue with Antonio Días taking charge of fitness, a pivotal position in a season that will stretch bodies and schedules to the limit, and Nuno Santos overseeing the goalkeepers, a specialist role under a coach who has always demanded strong personalities between the posts.
So the scene is set. The head coach is already in his office, the staff are in place, and the first wave of players is about to walk through the doors at Valdebebas. Mourinho has pressed the start button early.
Now comes the only question that really matters in Madrid: how quickly can this second era turn preparation and promise into silverware?
