José Mourinho has made no secret of his desire to return to Real Madrid as manager, but he hasn’t ruled out the possibility of staying with Benfica next season.
The Special One remains the frontrunner to succeed Álvaro Arbeloa at the helm of the Royal Club, although other names such as Didier Deschamps and Mauricio Pochettino are also in the running.
27 May is Real Madrid’s last chance to sign Mourinho
According to the newspaper AS, Mourinho’s contract with Benfica includes a clause allowing him to leave no later than 10 days after his final match of the season, which is scheduled for either May 16 or 17.
If the clause is not activated, the contract will automatically renew for another year by mutual agreement. Therefore, if Real Madrid or any other club wishes to sign the Portuguese coach, they will have to act within the 10-day period from May 17th to 27th to finalize the matter.
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Mourinho asks: Can I resist the temptation to coach Real Madrid?
Mourinho was asked again about the possibility of coaching Real Madrid, and he responded controversially, questioning whether he could truly resist the temptation of returning to the Royal Club or coaching the Portuguese national team.
Regarding his future, the Special One said, “I’ve already said that I can’t guarantee I’ll stay at Benfica, because it doesn’t depend solely on me.”
He added, “There’s only one thing that depends on me, and that’s my will and desire… and as I said before, I want to continue at Benfica.”
He continued, “But my question is very clear: Is my desire to stay with Benfica stronger than any other offer that might come my way? I mean, if Real Madrid or the Portuguese national team approached me now or this summer… could I say definitively that I wouldn’t accept the offer?”
He concluded on this point by saying, “I don’t want to say more than that. I’ve said everything I needed to say about Benfica, and I won’t say anything more.”
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Mourinho: Relationship with Benfica’s management is fine
Meanwhile, during Friday’s press conference, Mourinho emphasized that his relationship with Benfica’s management is excellent, and that there is no truth to the media reports about disagreements between the two parties.
The Portuguese coach added sarcastically, “The only reason I’m angry with President Rui Costa is that they told me they forgot my membership badge after 25 years. That’s the only reason.”
“Everyone knows the situation when the season ends,” he added. “We’ll have 10 days to decide whether we’ll continue together or part ways. I can confirm that things between me and the president are fine.”
The 63-year-old Mourinho took over at Benfica last September and has remained undefeated in the Portuguese league since then, but they still trail leaders Porto by seven points.
In 41 matches, Mourinho has won 25, drawn eight, and lost eight with Benfica, six of those losses coming in European competitions and only two domestically (in the Portuguese Cup against Porto and the League Cup against Braga).
