Mourinho to bring three of his current staff members at Benfica to Real Madrid – report | OneFootball

Jose Mourinho is all set to return to Real Madrid as the new manager, with the announcement only a matter of time.

Indeed, everything has been agreed between the club and the Portuguese tactician over a return to the Santiago Bernabeu 13 years after his first stint.

The only detail remaining is for the coach to sign his contract, which is expected to take place once the presidential elections are out of the way.

Three Benfica staff members to follow

Now, according to AS, Mourinho will bring his assistants from Benfica with him to Real Madrid.

Mourinho will bring his staff members from Benfica to Real Madrid. (Photo by Jose Manuel Alvarez Rey/Getty Images)

His trusted inner circle – Joao Tralhao and Pedro Machado, his assistants, and Roberto Merella, his current analyst – will also be part of the move from Benfica to Madrid.

Tralhao happens to Mourinho’s right-hand man – the first assistant manager and the person that the Portuguese boss trusts the most.

Tralhao was the man on the bench when Benfica faced Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu in February in the UEFA Champions League, with Mourinho missing the match due to suspension.

Madrid is not unfamiliar territory for him either. In 2023 and 2024, he worked as a professor in Real Madrid’s football coaching and sporting management master’s program. Now, he is expected to become the club’s assistant coach.

Joao Tralhao will be Real Madrid’s assistant manager under Mourinho. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

Pedro Machado, Mourinho’s second assistant at the Portuguese club, will also follow him to the Bernabeu. Like Tralhao, Machado too has been working with the former Chelsea boss since his spell at Fenerbahce.

Finally, Roberto Merella has been working as Mourinho’s analyst since 2022 when they crossed paths at AS Roma. Since then, he has become another highly trusted figure for the Portuguese tactician.

The Italian followed Mourinho to Fenerbahce, then Benfica, and now is expected to move with him to Real Madrid.

What about in-house staff at Real Madrid?

Meanwhile, as reported earlier this week, Mourinho is expected to keep Real Madrid’s current fitness coach, Antonio Pintus, in his staff as per the request of club president Florentino Perez.

There has also been speculation about current manager Alvaro Arbeloa becoming a part of Mourinho’s staff, but that seems unlikely now, with Tralhao expected to be the new assistant coach.

However, it has been suggested that an unnamed former Real Madrid player could join Mourinho’s staff to act as a conduit between the coach and the players.