Perez re-elected as president of Real Madrid, opens door for Mourinho comeback

Florentino Perez has been re-elected as president of Real Madrid with a decisive majority, setting the stage for a possible return of Jose Mourinho as manager.

The 79-year-old, who has now led the club for 23 years across two separate terms, secured 65 percent of the votes from about 100,000 “socio” members, defeating his 37-year-old rival Enrique Riquelme, according to the club’s announcement on Sunday night.

“We have won the elections and will continue working to keep winning titles,” Perez said in his victory speech.

The outcome is expected to lead to the announcement of Mourinho as Real Madrid’s next head coach as early as Monday.

The Portuguese manager is set to return to the Santiago Bernabeu 13 years after his previous spell, with Madrid reportedly paying Benfica a €15 million ($17.25 million) release clause.

“We will continue to take pride in the Santiago Bernabeu stadium, the best stadium in the world,” Perez said

“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 first managed Real Madrid in 2010, spending three seasons at the club, where he won La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup during his rivalry with Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona.

His potential return is seen as a bold decision by Perez after Real Madrid ended the 2025/26 season without a major trophy for the second year in a row.

In a campaign video shared on Perez’s official Instagram page, Mourinho was seen wearing a Real Madrid shirt and simply saying: “Yes.”

Defeated candidate Riquelme had previously promised to sign Manchester City striker Erling Haaland and Norway international if elected.