Fix Vini Jnr relationship, maximise Mbappe - win! Jose's Real Madrid priorities
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- Jose Mourinho is set to be re-appointed Real Madrid head coach, returning to the Bernabeu where he previously delivered a record-breaking 100-point LaLiga title.
- Real Madrid finished a distant second to Barcelona in LaLiga — conceding the title via a Clasico defeat at the Spotify Camp Nou — and were eliminated from the Champions League by Bayern Munich, marking two seasons without a major trophy.
- Mourinho must repair his relationship with Vinicius Jr after previously suggesting the Brazilian "calls on trouble" with his behaviour; both parties are now reportedly ready for a clean slate following the unproven Gianluca Prestianni racial-abuse incident.
- Kylian Mbappe has scored 86 goals across two seasons at Real Madrid but only collected a European Super Cup and FIFA Intercontinental Cup, while fans have booed the Frenchman and PSG — his former club — have won back-to-back Champions League titles without him.
- Mourinho faces a captaincy decision to replace departing six-time Champions League winner Dani Carvajal, with Jude Bellingham emerging as a strong candidate after publicly pursuing a leadership role with England under Gareth Southgate.
- The squad needs unity after a training-ground spat between Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni — a dressing-room issue Mourinho will need to resolve given his prior high-profile falling out with Iker Casillas during his first Bernabeu spell.
- Mourinho last won a major trophy in 2022 (Conference League with Roma) and last lifted a league title in 2015 with Chelsea, leaving the question of whether his return restores glory or amounts to "a nostalgia trip to nowhere."
Why it matters: Real Madrid have gone two seasons without a major trophy while Barcelona dominated LaLiga and Bayern Munich outgunned them in Europe — a slide the club is betting a returning Mourinho, who once delivered a record 100-point title at the Bernabeu, can reverse. The stakes are highest for Mbappe, whose 86 goals have yielded only minor silverware and whose reputation now depends on Mourinho building a winning structure around him rather than PSG winning the Champions League without him.
