João Tralhão named Real Madrid assistant coach with contract through June 30, 2029
João Tralhão joins Real Madrid as assistant coach until June 30, 2029, bringing Benfica youth expertise and a long-term partnership with José Mourinho.
João Tralhão has been confirmed as an assistant coach at Real Madrid, signing a deal that runs until June 30, 2029, and is due to begin work with the first team ahead of the 2026–27 campaign. The appointment brings a coach with nearly two decades of youth development experience and recent senior-level assistant roles into José Mourinho’s backroom staff. Tralhão’s arrival is notable for his blend of academy credentials, continental experience and an established working relationship with Mourinho that dates to 2025.
Tralhão appointed assistant at Real Madrid
Tralhão’s contract with Real Madrid extends to the summer of 2029, positioning him as a medium-term fixture in the club’s coaching structure. The Portuguese coach will join the staff officially from July 1, 2026, in time for Mourinho’s pre-season preparations and the club’s summer training camp. Club sources described the signing as part of a deliberate rebuild of the first-team coaching group, blending trusted lieutenants and specialists in player development.
Tralhão is represented by ISM International Soccer Management, which handled the negotiations leading to his Bernabéu move. The management firm’s involvement underlines a coordinated approach to recruiting staff familiar to Mourinho’s methods. Real Madrid’s front office has framed the hire as reinforcing both match-day coaching and the club’s pathway between academy and first team.
Contract details and start date
Tralhão’s deal runs through June 30, 2029, giving Real Madrid and the coach a three-year window to integrate his work across training and match preparation. He is scheduled to report for duty on July 1, 2026, ahead of a pre-season programme that will test player fitness and tactical priorities. The timing allows Tralhão to participate fully in the summer schedule and to influence player selection during friendlies and early-season planning.
The multi-year contract signals the club’s expectation that Tralhão will be more than a short-term addition to the staff. Real Madrid have increasingly favoured continuity in their backroom teams, and the length of the deal suggests the club sees Tralhão as a long-term operational collaborator. His role will likely be defined in concert with Mourinho and other senior assistants to cover match preparation, opposition analysis and player development responsibilities.
Benfica youth pedigree and coaching development
Tralhão’s coaching CV is anchored in a prolonged spell inside Benfica’s academy, where he spent close to two decades developing youth prospects and leading the club’s UEFA Youth League side. He began within the Under-17 setup in 2002 and rose through the ranks to manage Benfica’s Youth League teams between 2013 and 2018. That period included notable results such as an 11-1 victory over Galatasaray in October 2015 and a run to the Youth League final in April 2014, where Benfica fell to Barcelona.
Throughout his time at Benfica, Tralhão earned a UEFA Pro Licence and built a reputation for integrating technical education with competitive preparation. His coaching at youth level emphasized progression of individual talent into first-team-ready players, a skill set that Real Madrid value as they manage a mix of established stars and emerging prospects. Club observers expect Tralhão to be involved in bridging the academy and senior squads, particularly during the transition moments of pre-season and cup rotations.
Senior-level experience across Europe
Beyond his work at Benfica, Tralhão has accumulated senior-level experience across several top European leagues, which broadened his tactical repertoire and familiarity with varied competitive environments. He served as an assistant to Thierry Henry at AS Monaco in 2018–19, took a head-coach role at Vilafranquense for a 17-match spell, and later worked with Nuri Şahin at Antalyaspor and Borussia Dortmund. At Dortmund he partnered with Şahin for 27 matches during the first half of the 2024–25 season, gaining exposure to Bundesliga demands and elite-level training methodologies.
That mix of roles — from Ligue 1 to the Turkish Süper Lig and the Bundesliga — is consistent with the profile Real Madrid often seeks in backroom staff: coaches who combine tactical versatility with experience handling different competitive pressures. Tralhão’s varied résumé provides him with a cross-border perspective on match preparation, in-game adjustments and player management under different tactical systems. Those qualities are likely to inform his day-to-day work at the Bernabéu.
Partnership with José Mourinho
Tralhão first worked alongside José Mourinho in the 2025–26 season at Fenerbahçe, a short stint that lasted fewer than two months before both departed the club. He followed Mourinho to Benfica in September 2025 and remained on the coaching team for 45 matches, a period that reinforced their working relationship. The length and intensity of that collaboration helped solidify Mourinho’s confidence in Tralhão as a trusted assistant, paving the way for the move to Real Madrid.
Mourinho’s recruitment strategy at Madrid appears to prioritise loyalty and pre-existing working relationships, assembling a staff that understands his tactical approach and management style. Tralhão’s inclusion fits that pattern: he arrives as part of a familiar network rather than an external, independently scouted specialist. Sources close to the coaching group suggest Tralhão will carry specific responsibilities delegated by Mourinho, including on-pitch coaching, individual player development and coordination with analysis staff.
Implications for Real Madrid’s squad and youth policy
Tralhão’s appointment is likely to have immediate implications for how Real Madrid handle the rotation between established stars and younger talents during a congested calendar. His track record at Benfica in preparing youth players for competitive senior football suggests he could play a leading role in shaping development pathways for academy graduates. The club faces a balancing act across domestic and continental competitions, and a coach experienced in melding youth integration with first-team demands provides an operational advantage.
In practical terms, Tralhão may be tasked with overseeing transitional programmes during pre-season and advising on loan strategies or reintegration plans for returning loanees. His experience in different leagues also gives him insight into the physical and tactical benchmarks needed for players to adapt when stepping up. For Real Madrid, maintaining a steady pipeline of capable young players while sustaining immediate title challenges will demand careful coordination between academy directors, Mourinho and the senior coaching staff.
Real Madrid’s appointment of João Tralhão adds a coach with depth in youth development and a portfolio of senior-level assistant roles across Europe to José Mourinho’s backroom team. Tralhão’s combination of Benfica academy experience, a UEFA Pro Licence and recent working proximity to Mourinho positions him to be a substantive contributor to match preparation and player transitions. The coming pre-season will offer the first practical window to evaluate how his methods integrate with Madrid’s tactical plans and squad rotations.
