Mourinho to Bring Key Assistants from Benfica to Real. José Mourinho has agreed to join Real and will bring three trusted specialists from Benfica with him. Among them are João Tralhão, Pedro Machado, and Roberto Merella. The contract is expected to be signed after the elections.
Real Madrid is preparing for a major overhaul of its coaching staff: José Mourinho, who has already agreed on the terms of his return to the Madrid club, intends to bring three key specialists from Benfica with him. According to RUSSPAIN, these are João Tralhão, Pedro Machado, and Roberto Merella. The finalization of the deal depends on the outcome of the election process, but the transfer itself is considered a done deal — the club is already preparing to pay 7 million euros to terminate the coach’s contract.
João Tralhão will become Mourinho’s main assistant in Madrid. At Benfica, he was his right-hand man and responsible for key decisions on the bench. It was Tralhão who attended the press conference in Madrid this season when Mourinho was suspended from the Champions League match. In his 16 years with Benfica’s system, he led the youth team to two Youth League finals, where his players lost to Barcelona and Salzburg. Among Tralhão’s protégés are Bernardo Silva, Renato Sanches, João Félix, and Guedes. After leaving Lisbon, he worked with Thierry Henry at Monaco, then managed Vilafranquense, and in recent years was an assistant to Nuri Sahin in Turkey and Germany. In 2025, Tralhão joined Mourinho at Fenerbahçe, and then followed him to Benfica.
Pedro Machado, the second assistant, is known as a specialist in physical training and youth development. His career began in the lower leagues of Portugal, where he worked with youth teams and served as a fitness coach for several clubs. In 2021, he replaced Tralhão as assistant at Vilafranquense, and then led various teams in the Portuguese leagues for three years. In 2025, Machado received an offer from Mourinho and has been part of his staff ever since, working at Fenerbahçe and Benfica.
The third specialist will be the Italian Roberto Merella, who is responsible for analytical work. Before joining Mourinho, he worked at Inter and Verona, and then joined the Portuguese coach’s staff at Roma in 2022. Since then, Merella has accompanied Mourinho at all clubs, including Fenerbahçe and Benfica. In Madrid, he will continue his role as chief analyst.
According to available information, the contract with the new staff is for two years with an option to extend. The date of the official announcement depends on the political situation at the club. It is important to note that such personnel changes in the coaching staffs of Spain's top clubs occur regularly: for example, Barcelona recently turned down a significant sum to hold a religious event at the Olympic Stadium, which also stirred discussion among management and fans (details about Barcelona's decision). In the case of Real, the bet is on a proven team that has already worked with Mourinho in several countries and clubs. For the Madrid club, this means not only a change of coach but also an overhaul of the entire training and analysis structure, which could influence the team's strategy in the coming seasons.
For reference: José Mourinho already managed Real from 2010 to 2013, and his return to Spain is seen as an attempt by the club to strengthen its position both domestically and in Europe. In recent years, the coach worked in Turkey, Germany, Italy, and Portugal, and his staff was known for its stability and high level of trust among specialists. In Spanish football, such personnel decisions often become a topic of discussion, especially amid competition between the country's leading clubs.
