Benfica prepares for José Mourinho's departure amid Real Madrid interest. Benfica acknowledges the risk of losing José Mourinho due to interest from Real Madrid. The club's management is trying to keep the coach, but negotiations have stalled. In Madrid, Mourinho is considered the leading candidate to replace the current manager.
In Lisbon, Benfica's management is facing a real threat of losing head coach José Mourinho. According to Spanish media, he is being considered as the main candidate for the position of Real Madrid coach next season. The club no longer rules out the possibility that Mourinho may leave the team, despite efforts to extend his contract.
The situation around the future Real Madrid coach became more intense after it became clear that the option of continuing with Álvaro Arbeloa is no longer being considered. José Mourinho has come to the forefront; according to sources, he personally took the initiative and offered to return to Madrid. In Valdebebas, the idea of bringing the Portuguese coach back was seen as a chance to refresh the dressing room and change direction after a series of poor team performances.
At Benfica, where Mourinho took over the project in September last year, president Rui Costa and his team tried to convince the coach to stay for at least one more season. However, contract extension talks have stalled. It is acknowledged in Lisbon that if Real Madrid makes an official offer, Benfica is unlikely to be able to keep the specialist. Mourinho's contract has a buyout clause of three million euros, making a possible move quite realistic. A similar situation arose a year ago when Xabi Alonso was leaving Bayer Leverkusen, but at that time the compensation amount was much higher.
Although José Mourinho has not officially confirmed any contact with Real Madrid management, Benfica is certain: the dialogue between the coach and the president of the Madrid club, Florentino Pérez, has long moved beyond formal relations. In recent years, their communication has been friendly, and now both sides are close to joining forces again for a new chapter in the club's history.
The issue of coaching changes at leading Spanish clubs regularly sparks widespread public resonance. For example, recently the media's attention was drawn to Barcelona Femenino's confident victory in the match against Levante Femenino, which was also accompanied by discussions of coaching decisions and team development strategies.
