Mourinho signs three-year deal to return as Real Madrid boss

Jose Mourinho has signed a three-year deal to become Real Madrid’s new head coach.

He will not be officially unveiled until after the club’s presidential election, which is due to take place on 7 June.

However, the 63-year-old’s contract will only be valid if current president Florentino Perez remains in his role.

Perez announced the election during an extraordinary news conference earlier this month in which he criticised journalists and La Liga and spoke of an “organised campaign” against him.

The 79-year-old has been in office since 2009 - and was previously president between 2000 and 2006 - but has overseen two successive trophyless seasons.

Renewables tycoon Enrique Riquelme is standing against Perez in the first presidential election in 20 years featuring a challenger, although Perez is expected to still win.

Mourinho is leaving his role as manager of Benfica, where he took charge in September and led them to third place in the Primeira Liga this season.

In his previous spell in charge of Real between 2010 and 2013, the Portuguese won La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup.

Mourinho will replace Alvaro Arbeloa, who only took charge in January following Xabi Alonso’s departure as boss.

Real ended their 2025-26 campaign trophyless, with rivals Barcelona sealing the La Liga title with a 2-0 El Clasico victory.

Los Blancos’ Champions League run also ended with a 6-4 aggregate defeat by German champions Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals.

After leaving Real in 2013, Mourinho returned to England for a second stint at Chelsea, winning the third of his three Premier League titles, plus the EFL Cup, in the 2014-15 season.

Following his departure from the Blues by mutual consent in 2015, Mourinho joined Manchester United on a three-year deal in 2016.

He won the Europa League, EFL Cup and Community Shield during his first season at Old Trafford, but was sacked in December 2018 after a poor run of results.

Mourinho also had spells at Tottenham, Serie A side Roma, where he won the Europa Conference League in 2022, and Turkish club Fenerbahce, before taking over at Benfica.

Mourinho’s entire managerial philosophy - the siege mentality, the us-against-the-world framing, the weaponisation of grievance, the use of media as the enemies - is perfectly calibrated for the climate Perez has spent years cultivating at Los Blancos.

A president who is highly critical of referees, who believes the media wants to destroy him, and Barcelona are favoured by La Liga has finally found his ideal coach.

The paranoia runs in the corridors of power at the Bernabeu and will now be in the dugout with Mourinho - although, in fact, predecessor Arbeloa has bought that vision of the world already.

That, more than anything, is why this appointment makes sense in Perez’s mind.

Madrid’s dressing room is fractured. There have been fights between players. Vinicius Jr got what he wanted when Alonso was sacked as manager. Kylian Mbappe is not loved and seems a strange body in the club.

Then, added to that, a squad that finished a second consecutive season without a major trophy.

Into this chaos walks a man with an iron fist, a famous surname and zero tolerance for insubordination. For a president who cannot control his own stars, the appeal of Mourinho is obvious.

But appetite is not the same as wisdom. And before Madrid celebrates the return of the ‘Special One’, it is worth asking a harder question: will he make the same mistakes again?

The logic behind Real Madrid’s decision is clear. The club are not simply searching for a tactician. They are looking for a manager capable of restoring authority, identity and emotional control to a fractured squad after a turbulent season.

With the dressing room in turmoil and the club’s reputation on the line, Real need a strong leader to steer the team back on course next season.

Against that backdrop, Perez is likely to view Mourinho as the ideal figure to restore order and authority within the dressing room.

The club will hope he can rebuild a side that fights collectively rather than individually, and manage some of football’s biggest personalities, several of whom have faced criticism this season for acting egotistically.

Mourinho’s appointment will also come with the expectation to deliver success.

Real have gone two consecutive seasons without a trophy, a rare drought by the club’s high standards.

They are performing well below expectations and the pressure, therefore, on Mourinho to help them regain domestic and European dominance will be immense.

Covid era gave Arteta space to revive Arsenal, says Kroenke

Arsenal co-chair Josh Kroenke says behind-closed-doors football during the Covid-19 pandemic allowed manager Mikel Arteta “space” to help revive the “sleeping giant”.

The Kroenke Sports and Entertainment (KSE) group took full control of Arsenal in 2018 but it has not always been easy, with fan protests at how the club was being run taking place during their tenure.

The Kroenkes hired Arteta in 2019, giving the former Arsenal player his first senior managerial role after a period of uncertainty at the club.

It took time for that vision to take hold with two eighth-placed finishes, despite a 2020 FA Cup win, leading to some questioning whether Arteta was the right man for the job.

But now the Spaniard has transformed the club after six-and-a-half years in charge and has led the Gunners to their first Premier League title in 22 years.

Giving a manager their first senior job in football is always a risk, but Kroenke says Arteta’s character made it clear that he was the right candidate to succeed Unai Emery in December 2019.

“Anybody that gets a chance to be around Mikel, you can buy into what he’s selling pretty easily,” Kroenke said.

“So I don’t want to give myself or my father [Stan Kroenke, founder and chairman of KSE and co-chair of Arsenal] any credit. I think Mikel and his staff and our players are the ones that earned those rights to have the patience in those moments by the amount of work and energy they were putting in behind the scenes.”

Arteta won the 2020 FA Cup but finished eighth in a league affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, which meant games were played behind closed doors.

“I don’t know if I would ever acknowledge it, or Mikel or anybody - there was something about Mikel having a little bit of what I would say ‘space’ during Covid when there weren’t fans around,” Kroenke said.

“There were some growing pains that went on during matches, different moments, and obviously we won the FA Cup, but to not have that extra pressure of fans being on top of you at different points in time when we were going through different growth phases was probably something I don’t think any of us would acknowledge in the moment. But, looking back I think we can say ‘maybe that was a little bit of a benefit’.”

It has not always been an easy transition for the Kroenkes, who took full ownership of the club in 2018 after being shareholders since 2007. There was a “We Care, Do You?” movement from supporters who called into question the owners’ commitment to the club.

“There was a lot of heavy lifting going on behind the scenes at the club at that point in time,” Kroenke said. “We went through a big transition from Arsene [Wenger], obviously a legendary person and manager. Transitioning to a new era after 22 years was going to be difficult.”

“One: it was taking the club private that summer. Two: You had a legendary manager moving along, us trying to reinvent ourselves. Third: An underestimated thing for me on the back end was [chief executive] Ivan Gazidis’ departure. For a club of our stature, change is going to be healthy but that was way too much change in way too short of a period of time.”

In the early period of running the club, Arsenal found themselves - in Kroenke’s own words - “straddling strategies” as they chased Champions League qualification and trophies.

Kroenke flew to Baku and saw Arsenal lose 4-0 to Chelsea in the 2019 Europa League final which was the moment when he says he and his father had to “accept” where the club was after watching the “worst 45 minutes of the season”.

“Seeing that happen was the first time where I came back from that trip and I told my dad that I think we need to really embrace where we are,” Kroenke said. “Now that we have 100% of the club, we might need to take a step back to go forward at some point.”

But, in that low moment, one of the bright lights of Arsenal’s next generation emerged in a conversation with soon to be departing academy manager, and former player, Per Mertesacker.

“After the final in Baku, I made a comment about Virgil van Dijk, who had arrived at Liverpool a year or two before,” Kroenke said. “I said ‘how do we get one of these guys into our system’. [Mertesacker replied] ‘Well unless you’ve got 100 million quid, you better not be thinking about him’. I said ‘who’s the best young defender in Europe?’. He turned without hesitation and said ‘William Saliba’.”

Saliba joined Arsenal aged 18 in July 2019 for £27m from Saint-Etienne, going on to become a key member of their title-winning side.

Kroenke spends a lot of time flying to and from the United States, which can mean some early rises to watch the Gunners play. “If there’s any way they could do away with the 12.30, 12.45 kick-off… the 4am wake-up is not fun in the United States,” Kroenke joked.

Another big moment Kroenke experienced in the US was the season-defining video assistant referee (VAR) decision that saw West Ham’s late goal ruled out, three games from the end of the season, as Arsenal moved closer to the title.

“I was on my hands and knees in my living room. It was a moment where I think every Arsenal supporter worldwide held their breath,” said Kroenke.

After Arsenal’s first league title for more than two decades was confirmed, tens of thousands of supporters rushed to Emirates Stadium to celebrate.

“I knew we were a sleeping giant that we needed to awaken in some way,” Kroenke said. “We haven’t had a team, a squad like this in the social media age. Social media evolved and the Twittersphere and everything else around it. The instantaneous information, the ‘Banter Era’ - I’m aware of all this. I turned 46 last week. I’ve grown up around this and I’ve seen it all from my own perspective. I think that’s what I’m so proud to see. There was almost a time when you were a closeted Arsenal fan.”

But this success does not mean the end of the journey for Kroenke and his vision for the club, with the Gunners playing Paris-St Germain in the Champions League final on Saturday.

“I think I can think back and say that our stated goal was winning the Premier League, because if you can put yourself in contention for the Premier League, you’re in contention for everything else,” Kroenke said.

“Should we get a great result on Saturday, it’s not going to change or affect who we are. When you win something, the sun’s still going to come up the next day. You’ve got to get back to work and there are many teams trying to gain on you, including some historically great ones around the Premier League. So, we’re going to look to strengthen because we know that teams around us are going to get better. If you’re not trying to continually evolve and improve, you’re standing still.”

Palace wait on Iraola with Lampard among plan Bs

For Crystal Palace, all eyes are now on Andoni Iraola. Will he, or won’t he?

The glory of Wednesday night’s euphoric Conference League win in Leipzig won’t fade for some time for supporters.

But for those at the heart of the club, the planning for next season will accelerate with almost immediate effect.

The first task at hand is to appoint a new head coach.

As BBC Sport revealed earlier this month, Iraola is the man Palace want to replace the outgoing Oliver Glasner, who insisted after the triumph in Germany he has no plans to reverse his decision.

They have made the Spaniard a proposal and are awaiting his answer, within that are assurances he will be permitted significant influence over the recruitment operation.

It is understood Palace want an answer by the end of the weekend.

The move is ambitious. Iraola has emerged as one of the brightest managers in European football - Bournemouth’s qualification for next season’s Europa League illustrative of his impressive body of work.

“We have got a taste for it now, we want to keep it going,” said owner Steve Parish following the win over Rayo Vallecano.

“We have gone up a level and we have got to try and stay there. We will have a week to celebrate and then work hard in the summer.”

Palace believe they have done all they can to convince Iraola they can provide the platform for him to continue building his reputation.

All that is left is Iraola’s approval.

If the 43-year-old declines then Palace will move on to plan B.

Among the alternatives is understood to be Frank Lampard, who has key admirers in the Palace boardroom.

Releasing Lampard from his contract with Coventry provides an obvious stumbling block should Palace pivot to the former Chelsea midfielder.

But there is some optimism at Palace that Lampard, who is aware of the Eagles’ interest in him, would be open to joining before next season.

Kieran McKenna, Pierre Sage, Sean Dyche and Thomas Frank have also been discussed as options.

Luring Iraola to Selhurst Park would represent a coup, but the fact he has taken so long to decide has led to a degree of scepticism inside Palace over whether the now-departed Bournemouth head coach is prepared to accept.

Much will become clearer in the coming days.

As ever, player retention will emerge as a key narrative in Palace’s summer.

Michael Olise, Eberechi Eze and Marc Guehi have all left the club in the past two years, but Palace are determined to avoid any further significant exits.

That will be easier said than done.

While Wednesday night’s victory over Rayo may help keep players satisfied with Europa League football now secured for next season, their triumph will inevitably attract more admiring glances at their players.

Adam Wharton’s man-of-the-match performance in the final will only serve to heighten the feeling the midfielder is destined to join an elite club.

Liverpool and Manchester United are known to be among his admirers. But Palace are in a strong position to keep the wolves from their door for at least one more season given Wharton’s contract still has three years left to run.

Palace are open to offering Wharton an improved deal, though it is unclear whether the midfielder is keen to engage given the interest from elsewhere.

Elsewhere, goalkeeper Dean Henderson, who has two years on his current contract, is attracting interest from several Premier League sides and can expect an approach over a potential new deal in the coming weeks.

Central defender Jaydee Canvot, who has impressed since Marc Guehi’s exit in January, is understood to be on Paris St-Germain’s radar.

Jean-Philippe Mateta’s future will also need resolving after his protracted move to AC Milan in January broke down because of a failed medical.

Mateta made clear at the time that he saw his long-term future away from Selhurst Park and the club signed Jorgen Strand Larsen from Wolves in a deal worth £48m to countenance his anticipated exit.

There have been reports that Maxence Lacroix is stalling on a new contract, though it is understood Ismaila Sarr is keen to discuss a possible renewal.

There’s plenty to unpack at Selhurst Park this summer.

Spurs closing in on Bournemouth's Senesi

Marcos Senesi got five assists in 37 league appearances for Bournemouth this season

Tottenham are close to signing Bournemouth defender Marcos Senesi on a free transfer.

Personal terms are yet to be finalised but the deal for the 29-year-old is advancing towards completion, as is Spurs’ move for Scotland full-back Andy Robertson, who is out of contract after leaving Liverpool.

Bournemouth abandoned efforts to retain Senesi after he turned down a third new contract offer in December and began talks with major overseas clubs.

However, the three-cap Argentina international now looks set to remain in the Premier League, barring any last-minute change of heart.

Senesi played all but one of Bournemouth’s league games this season as they finished sixth and qualified for Europe for the first time in their history.

In four years on the south coast, Senesi made 128 appearances for Bournemouth having joined from Dutch side Feyenoord in 2022.

Spurs, meanwhile, finished 17th in the Premier League and improved after appointing Roberto de Zerbi as head coach in March, narrowly avoiding relegation to the Championship.

Speaking to BBC Sport this week, Spurs chief executive Vinai Venkatesham said: “The squad needs work and the squad hasn’t got the right balance.

“We need experience and leadership and also that kind of physical robustness to play in the most demanding league that exists.

“We need to strengthen the club over multiple transfer windows but this transfer window, in particular, is going to be critical.”

60 Palace 'troublemakers' ordered to leave Leipzig

Crystal Palace and Rayo Vallecano are taking part in their first European final

Police say 60 Crystal Palace fans classified as “known troublemakers” were ordered to leave Leipzig city centre on Tuesday evening while two arrests were made following clashes between supporters of the Eagles and Rayo Vallecano.

Thousands of fans have travelled to Leipzig for the Conference League final between Palace and Spanish side Vallecano on Wednesday (20:00 BST).

After videos appeared online of rival fans clashing in the German city on Tuesday, Saxon State Police confirmed two arrests were made and all individuals involved in the disturbance were ordered to leave the area.

Two officers, one from the Federal Police and one from the State Police, sustained minor injuries during clashes with both sets of fans.

“At approximately 20:00 (19:00 BST), around 300 Rayo Vallecano fans, considered to be at high risk of hooliganism, were gathered in the city centre,” read a statement from Saxon State Police.

Police say clashes “suddenly broke out” with Palace fans sat on the outdoor terraces of both Leo’s Brasserie and Dhillons.

“Bottles, beer glasses, and pub furniture were thrown at each other. Physical altercations also occurred,” added the police statement.

“Officers on the scene immediately intervened and separated the two groups of fans, checked the identities of more than 300 people, and issued dispersal orders.

“Known troublemakers from Crystal Palace moved to the area of the Penguin Ice Bar and approximately 60 individuals provoked passing Spanish fans and were surrounded by federal police.”

The police operation concluded at approximately 03:15 on Wednesday morning, with more than 320 fans involved.

Local police say the ‘fan fest’ in the market area of Leipzig remained peaceful throughout, with about 2,000 fans from both clubs present.