José Mourinho's Complete Managerial Record Since Leaving Real Madrid: A Club-by-Club Analysis

José Mourinho appears poised for a sensational return to Real Madrid. The 63-year-old Portuguese tactician is reportedly in deep discussions with club president Florentino Pérez and is expected to decline extending his contract at Benfica, instead returning to the Spanish capital following the conclusion of Portugal's domestic season. But before the wave of nostalgia sweeps everyone away, it's important to examine what he's accomplished during the 12 years since his initial departure.

The reality is far more nuanced than what his most ardent supporters or harshest critics might suggest.

Limited Success Across Six Clubs

Following his 2013 exit from the Bernabéu, Mourinho has taken charge of six different clubs. His trophy cabinet from this period includes just a single domestic league championship — the 2014-15 Premier League title with Chelsea — while experiencing three mid-season dismissals. A troubling pattern emerged at Chelsea, Manchester United, and Roma: a respectable first campaign, followed by genuine progress in year two, then a dramatic breakdown before the holidays in the third season.

His other silverware during this stretch has consisted largely of secondary competitions. He collected a League Cup and Europa League during his Manchester United tenure. With Roma, he captured the inaugural Conference League — a tournament essentially created to provide mid-tier European clubs additional opportunities for silverware. There was also a Community Shield, which Mourinho bizarrely celebrated by holding up three fingers as though he'd secured the Champions League.

The win percentages tell an interesting story. Chelsea: 58.8%. United: 58.3%. Fenerbahçe: 59.7%. The Portuguese manager clearly knows how to win matches. Sustainability, however, has proven elusive. His previous three positions all concluded with either termination or a pressured resignation, and none brought him within striking distance of a league championship.

Controversy Remains a Constant Companion

At Tottenham Hotspur, his tenure was terminated mere days ahead of a League Cup final — which Spurs subsequently lost. During his Roma chapter, he was filmed confronting referee Anthony Taylor in a parking garage following their Europa League final loss to Sevilla, calling the official a "f---ing disgrace." At Fenerbahçe, he physically grabbed an opposing manager's nose during an Istanbul derby, earning a three-match suspension. He also famously brought a laptop to media conferences as supposed evidence of refereeing bias. He finished 11 points adrift of Galatasaray and failed to defeat either Istanbul rival throughout the entire campaign.

His spell at Benfica has been his most composed in years, leading the club through a nearly flawless domestic season. However, they currently sit in third place — not first — and require favourable results elsewhere to secure Champions League qualification. The campaign's highlight came with a 4-2 victory over Real Madrid in January. The low point followed shortly thereafter, when he responded to Vinícius Jr's racism allegations against Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni by stating: "Every stadium that Vinicius plays, something happens. Always." UEFA subsequently handed Prestianni a six-match ban — for homophobic behaviour, not racism.

What Real Madrid Would Actually Be Getting

Here's the straightforward assessment: Mourinho in 2025 is a manager capable of stabilizing a fractured dressing room in the short term, winning knockout competitions, and creating enough intensity and media attention to maintain player discipline. If reports are accurate that Madrid's locker room has become difficult to manage, that's a specific issue he could likely address — for approximately 18 months, anyway.

However, the evidence from the past decade points to significant limitations. Zero league titles outside England. No meaningful Champions League campaigns. A win percentage that appears solid on paper but accompanies three mid-season sackings. Madrid already tried this experiment between 2010 and 2013, secured one La Liga title, and heard Mourinho label his final season there the worst of his professional career upon departure.

Chelsea (2013-2015): Win% 58.8 | Silverware: Premier League, League Cup
Manchester United (2016-2018): Win% 58.3 | Silverware: Community Shield, League Cup, Europa League
Tottenham Hotspur (2019-2021): Win% 51.2 | Silverware: None
AS Roma (2021-2024): Win% 49.3 | Silverware: Conference League
Fenerbahçe (2024-2025): Win% 59.7 | Silverware: None
Benfica (2025-present): Unbeaten domestic campaign, currently third in Primeira Liga

Anyone evaluating Madrid's La Liga or Champions League prospects for next season should consider one undeniable pattern: Mourinho's squads typically reach their zenith in year two before collapsing in year three. The previous time he managed at the Bernabéu, he validated that exact trajectory himself.