Madrid is a club in complete crisis, with an under-pressure president on the warpath, players being hospitalised by team-mates and millions of supporters signing a petition for superstar strikers to be sold. Adding Mourinho into the mix, thus, feels like pouring petrol on a dumpster fire.

So, who are the big winners and losers of a decision that is simultaneously shocking and unsurprising? GOAL breaks it all down…

As one of the most self-assured figures in football, Mourinho will doubtless feel that he is back where he belongs, managing one of the biggest clubs in the game. The truth of the matter, though, is that ‘The Special One’ is no longer quite so special.

Benfica may have been keen to keep a coach that they only re-hired themselves last September, but Mourinho’s previous four employers – Fenerbahce, Roma, Tottenham and Manchester United – were all happy to see the back of him.

When Mourinho arrived in Madrid back in 2010, he was regarded by many neutrals as the No.1 coach in the world, having just won a treble with Inter, after enjoying similarly historic success at Chelsea and Porto. As he prepares to make his return, though, Mourinho hasn’t won a league title since 2015, while the Conference League is the only cup he’s won in the past nine years.

So, while Mourinho recently questioned the credentials of several younger coaches who had been given jobs at top teams, he’s actually done nothing himself in the last decade to deserve such a prestigious position. For that reason alone, he should be feeling extremely grateful to Perez for giving him the opportunity to prove he’s still got what it takes to excel at the very highest level.