According to recent media reports, Jose Mourinho is close to taking charge of Real Madrid again. However, his appointment is expected to cost the club a significant amount. According to Bild and the Portuguese TV channel RTP, the release clause in Mourinho's contract with Benfica has expired. As a result, Real Madrid, having missed the opportunity to secure the 63-year-old manager for 7 million euros, will now have to pay the full 14 million euros. This is reported by Goal.com .
Club president Florentino Pérez criticized the media during a sensational press conference in mid-May, claiming a "smear campaign" was being waged against the club, and announced early presidential elections. For the first time in history, a candidate named Enrique Riquelme was presented as an official rival to Pérez. Consequently, the deal with Jose Mourinho, which was supposed to be finalized on Monday, has been put on hold until the election results are known.
Nevertheless, the Benfica board expects "The Special One" to return to the Bernabéu following his 2010–2013 tenure. If the transfer goes through, Marco Silva, who has been managing Fulham since 2021, is expected to take over the Lisbon club. Silva finished 11th in the English Premier League last season, and his contract with the Londoners expires this summer.
Mourinho arrived at Benfica in September 2023 after a short and unsuccessful stint at Fenerbahce. Despite an unbeaten run in the domestic league, he failed to win a trophy — Porto secured the title and knocked them out in the cup quarter-finals. The team's Champions League run also ended, with Real Madrid putting an end to their European hopes.
The season also started poorly for Real Madrid. Following a defeat to Barcelona in the Supercopa final in mid-January and disagreements with key players, Xabi Alonso was dismissed. His successor, Álvaro Arbeloa, had a very unsuccessful start, forcing the management to turn to Mourinho once again.
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