Jose Mourinho is on his way back to Real Madrid, but the welcome story is quickly swallowed by the job in front of him. Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior, Trent Alexander-Arnold and a dressing room that needs a clearer hierarchy are the first issues. Real Madrid finished second in La Liga with 86 points from 38 games, behind Barcelona's 94-point title season, and they have not won a major trophy in the past two seasons.

What Mourinho is being asked to fix

That is why this return feels more like a test of man-management than a nostalgia move. Mourinho’s first spell at Real Madrid brought a Liga title and Copa del Rey across 178 games from 2010 to 2013, so the club knows what the ceiling looks like when his teams click. But the present-day brief is different. This is not just about adding control or edge, it is about making a squad with serious talent stop looking like a collection of separate problems.

Michael Owen called the appointment “a surprising one” and added: “He's not done amazingly well in his last handful of jobs.” He was even blunter on the bigger picture, saying: “There's no guarantee of winning with him. You could have said there was 15 years ago.” That scepticism is fair enough. Mourinho’s last major trophy came with Roma in the Conference League in 2022, and his recent runs at Fenerbahce and Benfica were short.

Still, the arguments against him should not be flattened into a simple no. John Terry said Mourinho “strikes a fantastic balance between being an incredible motivator and a great team manager,” and that matters when the problem is inside the dressing room as much as on the pitch. If he can get Mbappé and Vinícius pulling in the same direction, the rest of the rebuild looks a lot less messy.

The right-back issue is real too

Trent Alexander-Arnold adds another layer. Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink was clear about the fit, saying: “If it's Jose Mourinho, it is most likely that his chances are really big because Mourinho likes his defenders to defend first.” He also said: “We all know Trent's quality, but Trent's quality is going forward. So in a sense, if it is Mourinho, I think Dumfries will play quite a bit.”

That does not mean Trent is out of the picture. Hasselbaink added that Trent “will get a lot of game time,” but the warning is obvious enough. If Mourinho wants a full-back who is first and foremost secure out of possession, Denzel Dumfries becomes a live alternative, especially with Dani Carvajal departing on June 30 and a right-back vacancy opening up.

The larger point is that Mourinho is not walking into a blank slate. He is walking into a squad that still has quality, but also obvious questions about shape, roles and authority. That is where he has to start, before anyone talks seriously about silverware.

FAQ

Will Jose Mourinho succeed in his second spell at Real Madrid?

It is not guaranteed. Michael Owen said there is no guarantee of winning with him, while others argue Mourinho can still motivate a dressing room. Real Madrid finished second in La Liga with 86 points, have not won a major trophy in the past two seasons, and the job is being framed around solving immediate problems rather than simply adding another big name.

Why is Jose Mourinho returning to Real Madrid now?

Real Madrid have not won a major trophy in the past two seasons, and Mourinho’s first spell brought a Liga title and Copa del Rey across 178 games from 2010 to 2013. The move is being sold as a short-term reset, not a long-term project.

How will Jose Mourinho affect Trent Alexander-Arnold at Real Madrid?

There is real pressure on Trent Alexander-Arnold because Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink said Mourinho likes his defenders to defend first. He also said Trent’s quality is going forward and that Denzel Dumfries could play quite a bit if Mourinho wants more defensive reliability, though he added Trent should still get a lot of game time.

Compiled by the ClutchBrief Desk with AI assistance, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →