Mourinho’s price tag revealed as Madrid move drags on
His release clause expires this Saturday, and signing him is twice as expensive. Tensions in Lisbon regarding his situation are at their peak.
Tension is rising in Lisbon over Mourinho. His uncertain future at Benfica, where he remains manager despite his seemingly imminent departure, has dominated the sports pages of Portuguese newspapers in recent days. Everything revolves around his release clause.
The clause allowing him to leave for €7 million ($7.9 million) expires on Tuesday, May 26. From that moment on, his departure would cost €15 million ($16.9 million), equivalent to the manager’s gross salary and the amount Real Madrid would have to pay. Even so, negotiations remain possible, and Benfica could still lower the asking price.
Mourinho remains unfazed by the situation. He is calm and confident that he still has a strong chance of becoming Real Madrid’s next coach, unless Riquelme unexpectedly wins the elections. But the situation has become increasingly complicated, and tensions are mounting in Lisbon. It has turned into a high-stakes poker game.
To make matters worse, Benfica had hoped Sporting would beat Torrense in the Cup final. Since that did not happen, Benfica will now have to play in the Europa League qualifying round on July 23 and, as a result, begin pre-season much earlier than expected, on June 25. That significantly tightens the timeline and further complicates matters for Mourinho.
Benfica is waiting for Real Madrid to make a move, with the club’s entire project effectively on hold. That is understandable. Mourinho still has one year remaining on his contract, and it is clear he will not stay, as the relationship between the two sides has deteriorated. However, if Benfica chooses to dismiss him unilaterally, the Lisbon club would have to pay either €7 million ($7.9 million) if it happens before Tuesday the 26th, or €15 million ($16.9 million) if it happens afterwards. Nothing is official yet, but Benfica’s preferred replacement is Marco Silva, whose contract with Fulham expires on June 30 and who is also being affected by the uncertainty.
Mourinho now finds himself trapped in this labyrinth, waiting for the elections to be resolved. In the meantime, Benfica is under growing pressure to begin preparations for the new season in time for the Europa League qualifiers. Rui Costa promised club members he would act quickly, but seven days have passed since those comments after the final match, and there has been no progress since that promise. With the project stalled because of the Real Madrid elections, the pressure is mounting on him as well. And, in practical terms, once the clock strikes midnight on Tuesday, May 26, the manager’s price tag will rise to €15 million ($16.9 million).
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