Jose Mourinho, who has long been known as the “Special One” and at times the “Happy One,” admitted after Benfica’s unbeaten Primeira Liga campaign that a return to Real Madrid is a realistic possibility.
After Benfica finished the season with a 3-1 win at Estoril on Saturday — completing a league campaign without a single defeat — Mourinho acknowledged for the first time that the Real Madrid job is on the table. He told reporters his immediate future should be resolved this week and asked for time and space to decide.
“I need time. I need space. This week I think will be very important,” he said. Mourinho added that he had not received a direct proposal from Real Madrid, but that he could not deny there was activity behind the scenes: “I don’t have a proposal from Real Madrid. But to hide, to say there is nothing, I cannot do that. There is something. But not with me directly.”
Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez has not spoken to Mourinho personally but has been in contact with Mourinho’s agent, Jorge Mendes. Mourinho is bound to a two-year Benfica contract signed eight months ago, which contains a release clause allowing him to leave for around £2.6m — a modest sum for a club of Real’s size.
Staying at Benfica is an option; the club has offered him an improved deal, though sources say he is unlikely to accept. Another long-standing possibility is the Portugal national team, which wants him to take charge after the upcoming World Cup to prepare for Euro and World Cup cycles, including the 2030 tournament that will be shared by Portugal, Spain and Morocco. Still, most in Lisbon view Real Madrid as the likeliest destination.
Mourinho and Pérez have remained close since his first spell at the Bernabéu, and Mourinho acknowledged their long-standing relationship, referring privately to the Real president as “FP.” He cautioned, however, that closeness does not guarantee a return: “We are close for 13 years. But that doesn’t mean I’ve been in the club for the last 13 years or that I am going to be.”
Sixteen years after his original appointment at Real Madrid, Pérez appears keen to reunite with Mourinho and replicate some of the success from that earlier era. Mourinho led Real to a dominant 100-point LaLiga season in 2011/12, ending a four-year title drought for the club; Real Madrid have not won LaLiga in the past two seasons. Mourinho’s 72% win rate during his first Real spell remains higher than those of his successors, including Zinedine Zidane and Carlo Ancelotti.
Pérez’s planned re-election as club president appears unlikely to stand in the way. With no declared opponent, Pérez is expected to be re-elected unopposed on the day of Real Madrid’s final LaLiga fixture.
Back in Lisbon, local journalists and observers mostly assume a second spell at the Bernabéu is imminent. Veteran SIC reporter Nuno Luz, who has covered Mourinho for more than 30 years, said he had “no doubt” Mourinho will be the next Real Madrid manager. Luz argued that returning to Madrid would place Mourinho “at the very epicentre of world football” and give him the resources to tackle the club’s internal problems.
Mourinho will depart Benfica with an unbeaten league campaign to his name — only the fifth team to achieve that feat this millennium — but without a place in next season’s Champions League. He celebrated the team’s mentality and cohesion after the final whistle but stressed that he would swap the unbeaten record for a title if he could.
“It’s a great thing,” he said. “It’s the first time in my career. Being invincible, I never did it. I would change that for the title. No doubt about that. But it’s something that reflects the mentality and togetherness of the team. It’s something to make me proud as the leader of the group.”
Fewer than 5,000 fans attended the Estoril match, and only a handful of photographers were present — a stark contrast to the global media attention awaiting Mourinho should he return to Madrid. Dressed formally for the occasion, he left Lisbon with an impressive unbeaten record but also the sense that a move to the Bernabéu could be imminent.
As club and agent discussions continue, Mourinho has signalled he will take the coming days to weigh his options. For now, the narrative in Portugal is clear: Mourinho’s next chapter could be a second spell at Real Madrid, and Madrid itself appears to be waiting.