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José Mourinho is set for a dramatic return to Real Madrid after signing a three-year contract to take charge of the Spanish giants, ending weeks of speculation over the club’s managerial future.

The Portuguese coach will not be officially presented until after Real Madrid’s presidential election scheduled for June 7.

However, the agreement depends on current president Florentino Perez retaining his position in an election expected to end his club’s first contested presidential race in two decades.

Mourinho, 63, leaves Benfica after a brief spell that ended with a third-place finish in Portugal’s Primeira Liga.

His return comes as Real Madrid seek a reset after a disappointing 2025-26 campaign that ended without silverware.

Barcelona reclaimed the La Liga title, while Bayern Munich knocked Los Blancos out of the Champions League quarter-finals.

Mourinho previously managed Real Madrid between 2010 and 2013, winning La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup during a fiercely competitive era dominated by clashes with Barcelona.

He replaces Alvaro Arbeloa, who took over in January following Xabi Alonso’s departure.

Since leaving Madrid in 2013, Mourinho has managed Chelsea, Manchester United, Tottenham, Roma, Fenerbahce and Benfica, collecting major honours including a Premier League title with Chelsea, the Europa League with United and the Europa Conference League with Roma.

Real Madrid are now turning back to a familiar figure, banking on Mourinho’s experience, authority and winning pedigree to end two barren seasons and restore the club’s dominance.

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Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca knocked Novak Djokovic out in the third round of the French Open on Friday to ruin the Serbian great’s latest quest for a record 25th Grand Slam.

The 19-year-old Fonseca rallied from two sets down for the second straight match to stun Djokovic, winning 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 7-5 after four hours and 53 minutes.

Fonseca, the 28th seed, is through to the last 16 of a major for the first time.

He will next play two-time Roland Garros runner-up Casper Ruud or American 24th seed Tommy Paul.

Asked how he kept believing after falling behind, Fonseca replied, “I actually didn’t.

“I just kept playing. I just enjoyed being on court. What a pleasure it was stepping on court with him (Djokovic) for the first time.

“I was trying to hit the ball as fast as I could. Djokovic, he does not miss,” the teenager added.

Djokovic’s exit comes a day after the shock elimination of world number one and red-hot title favourite Jannik Sinner.

It means there will be a first-time men’s Grand Slam champion this year at the French Open, ending a run of nine successive majors won by Sinner or Carlos Alcaraz.

“What an incredible match to be part of,” said Djokovic.

“Huge credit to Joao for really deserving to win the match. Without a doubt he was the better player in crucial moments,” he added.

Djokovic has been stuck on 24 majors since the 2023 US Open and may not get a better chance to add to that haul. Two-time defending champion Alcaraz was already absent in Paris due to injury.

“You just have to say well done and congratulate him. He played lights-out tennis,” Djokovic said of Fonseca.

“I don’t think I’ve done much wrong with my game. He was just better,” he added.

Alexander Zverev, a three-time Grand Slam finalist, is best placed to capitalise on the wide open draw. The second seed plays Frenchman Quentin Halys in the night session.

Swiatek, Andreeva Move On

Iga Swiatek booked her place in the last 16 of the women’s draw with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Magda Linette in an all-Polish affair.

Four-time women’s champion Swiatek dug herself out of an early 2-0 hole against the 35th-ranked Linette, who won their most recent meeting at Miami in March.

Swiatek broke three times in the opening set to nose ahead, and then surged into a 4-1 lead in the second set.

She overcame a stumble as she tried to close it out, before sealing victory to set up an intriguing match-up with the in-form Marta Kostyuk.

“It was a good match. I played much better than Miami,” said Swiatek, who moved to appoint Francisco Roig, a longtime coach of Rafael Nadal, in the wake of her loss to Linette two months ago.

Kostyuk, the 15th seed, continued her fine run with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Switzerland’s Viktorija Golubic.

She is unbeaten in 15 matches on clay this season following titles in Madrid and Rouen.

“Marta is having a great season. She always had a game to play well.

“So good for her. But I’m going to focus on myself, prepare tactically, as before any other match, and we’ll see,” said Swiatek.

Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva swept into the last 16 with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Czech 27th seed Marie Bouzkova.

The eighth-seeded Andreeva goes on to face Swiss world number 170 Jil Teichmann, who knocked out former French Open runner-up Karolina Muchova.

AFP

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Cup-holders Nigeria are not looking to take anything for granted in Saturday’s Unity Cup Tournament final duel against the Reggae Boyz of Jamaica at the Charlton Athletic Stadium in London.

Head Coach Eric Chelle has been singing the praises of the squad that hammered Zimbabwe 2-0 in Tuesday’s semi-final, and he made it clear on Thursday that he might tweak his playing personnel, tactics, pattern and strategy for Saturday’s encounter against the familiar foes.

The Super Eagles and the Reggae Boyz battled to a 2-2 draw in the final of the same mini-tournament on Saturday, 31st May, 2025, before the Eagles swept to victory 5-4 after a penalty shootout to retain the trophy they had won in 2002 and 2004 – the only two times the competition had been held previously.

In its first edition in 2002, the Unity Cup was played by only two teams, with Nigeria defeating Jamaica by a lone goal scored by a former Nigeria U17 team captain, James Obiorah. Two years later, the Republic of Ireland joined the two teams, but Nigeria still emerged champions, with Bartholomew Ogbeche emerging the top scorer with three goals.

It was at the 2004 edition that Obafemi Martins made his mark, scoring on his debut for Nigeria.

On Saturday, Coach Chelle is permitted further experimentation with the largely fresh group he has brought to London, with Wrexham FC of England goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo likely to be given the nod to start having kept a clean sheet against the nifty Warriors on Tuesday.

A reassuring rearguard of Chibueze Oputa, Chibuike Nwaiwu, Igoh Ogbu and Obinna Igboke could also be wholly retained, following a commendable outing against the Zimbabweans. It may be recalled that it was at the Unity Cup last year that Igoh Ogbu, who plays for Slavia Prague in the Czech Republic, got his break into the Eagles’ big league.

Tochukwu Nnadi, who played some part in the Super Eagles’ campaign at the last Africa Cup of Nations finals in Morocco, may again team up with US-based no-nonsense tackler Alhassan Yusuf and former U17 team captain Samson Tijani in the middle, as Terem Moffi, Philip Otele and two-goal hero Femi Azeez run things at the fore.

Cyprus-based goalkeeper Francis Uzoho is also available, as are midfielder Tosin Oyedokun and forwards Owen Oseni and Rafiu Durosinmi, who also did not disappoint as substitutes on Tuesday.

Azeez’s self-assured output against Zimbabwe, with two goals to boot in his debut, gladdened the hearts of the technical crew, and much is expected of him against a Jamaican side that nearly torpedoed the books last summer. In the event, he became the first debutant to score two goals for the Nigeria senior team since Mathias Obianika did the same in the Eagles’ 4-0 defeat of Burkina Faso 55 years ago.

On Thursday, the Super Eagles trained at the Cray Valley, ahead of Friday’s official training that will hold at The Valley.