Perez Secures Another Term as Real Madrid President, Mourinho Set for Return
Florentino Perez has been re-elected as president of Real Madrid after securing 65 percent of votes cast by the club’s members, defeating challenger Enrique Riquelme. The victory paves the way for the return of Jose Mourinho, who is expected to be unveiled as the club’s new manager after a 13-year absence.
Real Madrid President Florentino Perez (R) shakes hands with Barcelona's German coach Hans-Dieter Flick at the end of the Spanish Super Cup final football match between Real Madrid and Barcelona at the King Abdullah Sport City in Jeddah on January 12, 2025. Photo/Courtesy
By Ruth Sang
Florentino Perez has been re-elected as president of Real Madrid after pulling in a comfortable majority of votes from club members , and this kind of result basically opens the door for Jose Mourinho’s return as head coach .
The 79-year-old , who has steered the Spanish giants for a grand total of 23 years across two separate periods , secured 65 percent of the votes from roughly 100,000 club members . He beat his rival, the 37-year-old Enrique Riquelme , the club said in an announcement on Sunday.
After the win, Perez told reporters , “We have won the elections and will continue working to keep winning titles.”
The voting result is expected to pave the way for Mourinho , who could be presented as Real Madrid’s new manager as early as Monday, depending on how things move.
Mourinho is set to return to the Santiago Bernabeu for the first time since he left the club 13 years ago. Reports suggest Madrid will pay his current employer, Benfica, a release fee around €15 million, roughly $17.25 million.
Perez also sounded upbeat about what’s next, saying “We will continue to take pride in the Santiago Bernabeu stadium, the best stadium in the world.”
He 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 first arrived at Real Madrid in 2010 and stayed for three seasons . During that stretch, he helped Los Blancos claim a La Liga title, a Copa del Rey trophy, and a Spanish Super Cup, while dealing with that fierce back-and-forth against Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona.
Perez’s call to bring him back comes after Real Madrid had a pretty rough 2025/26 campaign , without lifting any major trophy . That also means a second year in a row with no silverware.
Talk of Mourinho’s comeback picked up last week when a short video appeared on Perez’s campaign Instagram account . In it , the Portuguese coach was seen wearing a Real Madrid shirt and answering “Yes” when asked if he might return .
At the same time, defeated candidate Enrique Riquelme had campaigned with a promise to land Erling Haaland from Manchester City, if he were elected president.
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