Benfica confirmed this Tuesday the departure of José Mourinho and announced an agreement with Marco Silva to become its new coach, in an operation that leaves the Portuguese coach one step away from returning to the Real Madrid bench.
The Lisbon entity reported, through communications sent to the Portuguese Securities Market Commission (CMVM), that the Spanish club formalized its intention to hire Mourinho by paying a termination clause valued at 15 million euros. Furthermore, the coach would have already given his consent to complete the transfer.
The announcement comes a few days after the re-election of Florentino Pérez as president of Real Madrid. During the campaign, the white leader had publicly pointed out Mourinho as his main candidate to once again take the reins of the team, which he already directed between 2010 and 2013.
Meanwhile, Benfica wasted no time in searching for a replacement. The club reached an agreement with Marco Silva to sign a contract for two seasons, with the option to extend it until the 2028-2029 campaign. All that remains is the definitive formalization of the relationship for the coach to officially assume the position.
Silva’s arrival was a possibility that the Portuguese press had practically considered closed for several days. The 48-year-old coach was recently released after finishing his time at the helm of Fulham, a team he led to eleventh place in the last edition of the Premier League.
With extensive experience in English football since 2017, Marco Silva will now return to his country after almost a decade abroad. His last experience in Portugal was at the head of Sporting Lisbon, a club he left in 2017.
The confirmation of Mourinho’s departure also coincides with the official announcement by Real Madrid about the departure of Álvaro Arbeloa, the team’s coach since January, a move that reinforces expectations that the Portuguese coach’s return to the Santiago Bernabéu will be made official in the coming days.
