Real Madrid will soon have their new manager in Jose Mourinho after The Athletic reported he has signed a deal to return to the Bernabeu.The challenge facing him is significant.Madrid’s 2025-26 campaign has been punishing. There’s been literal infighting, two managers have been sacked and they finished without a major trophy for a second consecutive season — which had not happened since 2009-10.Back then, club president Florentino Perez brought in Mourinho to turn things around. Is he the right answer again?Madrid supporters recognise the team are in need of a rebuild, but some have concerns over re-hiring the 63-year-old Portuguese coach, given how his first spell in charge ended in acrimony in 2013.Mourinho’s three-year reign was a turbulent era, played out along toxic battle-lines against one of the greatest sides in football history in Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona. Even so, Mourinho delivered the 2011-12 league title — with a record 100 points and 121 goals (the former was matched by Barca the following campaign) — as well as a hugely celebrated Copa del Rey triumph against Barca in his debut campaign.The Athletic considers the most pressing issues Mourinho will need to address.A mural of Jose Mourinho by street artist TV Boy outside the Bernabeu (Oscar Del Pozo/AFP via Getty Images)The dressing-room atmosphereMourinho’s immediate challenge will be restoring order in the dressing room and establishing a clear hierarchy.The fight between Aurelien Tchouameni and Federico Valverde at Madrid’s training ground this month was the most dramatic flashpoint, but tensions behind the scenes have been a constant theme throughout the season.A key factor in Xabi Alonso’s dismissal in January was the lack of rapport and support from key players — with Vinicius Junior’s tantrum in El Clasico after Alonso substituted him marking the starting point of the team’s slide under the Basque manager.His replacement Alvaro Arbeloa has suffered from the same problem, evidenced by public comments by Kylian Mbappe this month, who claimed he had been labelled Madrid’s fourth-choice striker.Friction with key players was a theme of Mourinho’s first spell at Madrid. He clashed with senior figures such as goalkeeper Iker Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Pepe and even Cristiano Ronaldo. There were clear divisions within the squad, with Arbeloa and Alonso, then among the playing squad, among those to side with the manager.Jose Mourinho and Iker Casillas clashed during the Portuguese coach’s first spell in charge (Jasper Juinen/Getty Images)The confrontational style of Mourinho might well explain at least part of his appeal to president Perez — whose position is up for election on June 7, with Enrique Riquelme standing against him.Alonso was given a brief to impose more discipline on the squad when he was hired in May last year. But his attempts to do so were not well received by the whole team and this played an important factor in his downfall.It is expected that Mourinho will try to tighten control over leaks concerning internal dressing-room matters, something that has irritated the club this season — and which Alonso sought to tackle. Again, there is a parallel with Mourinho’s previous period, when the search for a supposed ‘mole’ became part of the daily conversation around the club.With club captain Dani Carvajal leaving as his contract expires, Madrid will lose their captain for the sixth season in a row — following the exits of Ramos (2021), Marcelo (2022), Karim Benzema (2023) Nacho (2024, when Toni Kroos left, too) and Luka Modric (2025, when Lucas Vazquez also departed). At Madrid, the armband is given to the player with the most years of experience with the team.Mourinho needs to gel a fractured squad where morale has been damaged by infighting. But to achieve this, he needs to empower and encourage new leaders to step up.Defensive commitment and intensityThis is probably the easiest problem to identify, because Madrid have suffered from it under each of their last three coaches: Carlo Ancelotti, Alonso and Arbeloa.It has been less visible on big Champions League nights, but across the course of the season it not only prevented Madrid from finding consistency but fuelled dressing-room tension, with players privately accusing others of not doing enough work for the team.Considering Mourinho’s Madrid teams produced some of their best performances defending in a low block, sticking to that approach could make the team easier to organise — much like Ancelotti on big European nights.This squad — packed with attacking talent and players naturally inclined toward offensive roles — has struggled whenever the defensive line was pushed higher and greater defensive responsibilities were demanded of them under Alonso and Arbeloa.Kylian Mbappe has been under the spotlight (Adam Pretty/Getty Images)Those keen on his appointment may well hope his approach to managing the squad’s difficult personalities can unlock a more effective way of motivating Madrid’s galacticos to put in the hard yards.The Vinicius Jr-Mbappe partnershipThis is another area where Alonso and Arbeloa struggled.Alonso brought the best out of Mbappe during the first half of the season, but lost Vinicius Jr in the process. After taking over in January, Arbeloa succeeded in revitalising Vinicius Jr, but Mbappe’s form dropped off.Both players have been regular targets for fan criticism over their attitude this term. Vinicius Jr even held his hands up in apology towards the Bernabeu crowd after scoring a long-range goal against Alaves in April.There is a degree of uncertainty around the 25-year-old Brazil forward, given his contract expires at the end of June next year and renewal talks have stalled. But Perez seems relaxed about the issue, telling Spanish TV station La Sexta on May 13: “There is no rush over his renewal — we have the whole season to talk.”In that interview, Perez described Vinicius Jr as “one of the great players at Madrid”, adding: “He won the last two Champions Leagues for us” (Vinicius Jr scored in the 2024 and 2022 finals, including the winner in the latter against Liverpool). Perez added that Mbappe was “the best player Madrid have right now” but “something still needs to improve”.Will Mourinho take the more authoritarian approach he is expected to? Will that bring benefits to the team? Beyond any questions about attitude, there is the familiar tactical problem of finding a way to get Mbappe and Vinicius Jr to produce their best together, as both like attacking from the same spaces on the left wing.Mourinho has history with Vinicius Jr, having been widely criticised for comments after the forward alleged he had been racially abused by Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni in a Champions League tie in February (Prestianni denied any racism and was eventually given a six-match ban by UEFA for homophobic, rather than racist, conduct). But The Athletic has reported that sources close to Vinicius Jr, who asked to remain anonymous to protect relationships, said Mourinho’s arrival would not be seen as a problem.Jose Mourinho in animated discussion with Vinicius Jr during the Champions League tie in February (Angel Martinez/Getty Images)Rebuilding a connection with fans“The rock and roll starts now.”Alonso’s message during his unveiling last May strongly resonated among Madrid supporters.“I want the team to transmit emotion, energy and connect with the people,” the former Bayer Leverkusen coach said. “That symbiosis will be fundamental.”It sounded brilliant. But within months, Alonso’s project was fatally damaged. Since then, fan frustration over poor results has been accompanied by limp performances in La Liga and a visible lack of commitment that has only intensified anger in the stands.Whistles and jeers inside the Bernabeu have become increasingly common — aimed not only at players but occasionally even at Perez. Two banners protesting against his leadership were removed by security during the 2-0 victory against Real Oviedo on May 14.One of the banners protesting Florentino Perez’s presidency that was removed from the Bernabeu (Angel Martinez/Getty Images)Mourinho needs to reconnect the squad and the institution with supporters. It is easy to imagine how his early public messaging might help shift the mood, but stability will depend on the changes in attitude he can produce on the pitch.Speaking at a press conference before Benfica’s Champions League league-phase game against Madrid in January, Mourinho described his first spell at the Bernabeu as “tough, intense, almost violent”.After so much apathy during the past season, his return carries appeal — but supporters are by no means entirely behind his return.Improving squad planningIn recent years — even when the team stood at the top of European football — there was friction with coaches such as Zinedine Zidane and Ancelotti regarding squad planning, because neither held significant decision-making power and both believed more signings were needed.Now, Madrid are clearly suffering from a lack of strength in depth — especially in defence — and they are still missing a controlling midfield presence since the departures of club legends Kroos and Modric.There is an expectation that Mourinho will assume a more influential role within the sporting structure, but that question is a little up in the air given the presidential election.Several of Mourinho’s calls from his first spell are still remembered fondly — from his commitment to Angel Di Maria to short-term solutions such as Emmanuel Adebayor, whose half-season loan spell from Manchester City proved highly valuable during a crucial stretch of 2010-11.While other managers have more or less accepted the situation when Madrid’s leaders have ruled out signings, Mourinho has never been known for staying silent to protect his position.