Real Madrid’s Mourinho deadline
There’s a clause in José Mourinho’s Benfica contract that would allow Real Madrid to hire him as head coach - but it has an expiry date.
When Florentino Pérez was asked about José Mourinho during his headline-grabbing press conference on Tuesday afternoon, the Real Madrid president sidestepped the question. But the very timing of his call for elections offers another clue about his plans for the Portuguese coach. In all likelihood, if elections are formally called in the next couple of days - as expected - and no challenger steps forward, Pérez will be confirmed as president again on Sunday, May 24. That’s just one day after Madrid’s final match of the season against Athletic Club. The perfect moment to announce the appointment of Mourinho…
Because Mourinho is working against a deadline. As this outlet has previously reported, there is a clause in his Benfica contract that allows him to leave for €3 million ($3.5 million) up to 10 days after the Lisbon club’s final game of the season. That match, incidentally, could still carry slim Champions League qualification hopes. It will be played on Saturday, May 16, against Estoril. The release clause will therefore remain active until May 26 - just a couple of days after Pérez is expected to be re-elected. Every piece fits neatly into place.
In any case, Real Madrid’s bylaws state that the outgoing board remains in charge until the new president is formally sworn in. Technically, that means the club could move ahead with the signing now. But it would hardly be appropriate to appoint a new head coach before the deadline for candidate submissions has even passed. It’s a long shot, but not impossible, that someone could still enter the race afterward, defeat Pérez in the election, and then be forced to work with Mourinho - a hire they didn’t choose. That’s why, as it appears, Pérez has carefully aligned the calendar so everything falls into place.
Mou the choice to steady Madrid ship
Mourinho, for his part, is sticking to his script, and there’s nothing in his public comments to suggest the deal is already closed. But given the timeline, it pretty much has to be. As this newspaper revealed, after Mourinho was offered to the club, Madrid concluded he was the best option to steady the ship. The decision has been made. “I’m not going to talk about my future until next Monday,” Mourinho said after Benfica’s draw against Braga this midweek. “From Monday on, I’ll be able to answer questions about my future as a coach and Benfica’s future. Relax - just one more week.”
Mourinho already has a contract extension offer from Benfica on the table, one he intends to decline. He’s set to give Madrid the green light, following talks in which he presented his diagnosis and made two key requests: a voice in transfer strategy (in terms of identifying priority areas, not specific targets) and respect for the internal hierarchy within the club’s sporting structure - avoiding situations like the one that arose between Vinícius Júnior and Xabi Alonso. The club sees the logic. A new project is about to begin, and Mourinho is poised to lead it.
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