Rui Costa: Jose Mourinho would have left even if Florentino Perez had lost

Benfica president Rui Costa revealed unexpected details regarding Jose Mourinho's departure from the team. According to him, the coach's exit was decided regardless of the outcome of the Real Madrid presidential elections. Costa emphasized that Mourinho's move to the Madrid club was inevitable and an agreement had been reached. This is reported by Goal.com reports .

The president explained that Jose Mourinho had openly stated he would accept the Real Madrid offer if Florentino Perez won. However, even if Perez had lost the election, the Portuguese specialist had no intention of remaining at Benfica. Rui Costa said he realized it was time to say goodbye to the coach at the Estadio da Luz.

"Benfica only had to wait for the result of the Real Madrid elections. Everyone understood that if Florentino won, he would become the coach of the Madrid club. But the situation was such that, in any case, he would have left his position as Benfica head coach by mutual friendly agreement," Costa said at a press conference.

Rui Costa admitted that the club tried to keep Mourinho for the long term, but the situation changed once the Real Madrid option appeared. He stated that he did not feel betrayed by the coach's decision, but rather respects his choice. Costa added that a contract extension was offered, but Jose Mourinho chose a different path.