Florentino Pérez re-elected Real Madrid president, paving way for José Mourinho's return from Benfica

The election result

Florentino Pérez, 79, won re-election as Real Madrid president late Sunday night, defeating businessman Enrique Riquelme in the club's first contested vote since 2006. Pérez claimed victory on all 60 voting tables, calling it "the second-best result in history." Spanish media exit polls placed him at 60 to 70 percent of the vote. Riquelme, the 37-year-old founder of energy group COX, conceded defeat shortly before 1:00 a.m., ahead of the official results publication.

We are going to keep working so that Real Madrid keeps winning more titles.

The election was called by Pérez himself after a second consecutive season without a major trophy, a campaign marked by the mid-season replacement of coach Xabi Alonso with Álvaro Arbeloa and a Champions League quarter-final exit to Bayern Munich. Pérez has led the club from 2000 to 2006 and again from 2009 to the present, overseeing seven of the club's record 15 European Cup titles.

Mourinho's return to Madrid

Pérez confirmed in his victory speech that his first major decision of the new mandate will be the return of José Mourinho as head coach, 13 years after the Portuguese's first spell from 2010 to 2013. Mourinho, 63, won one La Liga title, one Copa del Rey and one Spanish Super Cup during that initial tenure. Pérez described him as "one of the best coaches in the world" and "a madridista."

Pride in having the best players in the world. Pride in having the best stadium in the world and a madridista like José Mourinho.

Mourinho had reportedly given his consent to Pérez weeks ago but waited for the election outcome before finalising his departure from Benfica. The Portuguese club had been notified last Thursday that Pérez's candidacy had "expressed the firm intention to hire" Mourinho, committing to pay the €15 million release clause in his contract.

The Benfica domino effect

Benfica is now awaiting that €15 million payment, which Portuguese media report Pérez promised to make on Monday. Once the funds arrive, Benfica will notify the Portuguese Securities Market Commission (CMVM) of Mourinho's exit and the financial proceeds, clearing the path to announce Marco Silva as his successor.

Silva, 48, declined a lucrative offer to remain at Fulham, where he had coached for five years. He reached an agreement with Benfica last week and is set to return to Portugal 11 years after leaving Sporting for Olympiacos. His previous honours include a Portuguese Cup with Sporting and a Greek league title with Olympiacos.

Transfer promises and institutional plans

During the campaign, Pérez promised the immediate signing of French defender Ibrahima Konaté and Dutch full-back Denzel Dumfries upon re-election, along with a bid of at least €150 million for a star player. Spanish press linked Bayern Munich winger Michael Olise to that marquee slot, though Bayern president Herbert Hainer subsequently stated the club would reject any approach.

Beyond the transfer market, Pérez's wide electoral margin is expected to bolster his announced plan to open the club's capital to an external shareholder, a structural shift that would reshape the member-owned institution's governance model.

What comes next

The formal announcement of Mourinho's appointment at Real Madrid is expected imminently, with the coach set to succeed Álvaro Arbeloa. At Benfica, the sequence is contingent on the release clause payment: once processed, the club will issue its regulatory filing and unveil Marco Silva for the 2026/27 season. Pérez's new term runs until 2030.