Benfica unlikely to negotiate Mourinho’s exit to Real Madrid below €15 million release clause | OneFootball

Jose Mourinho’s return to Real Madrid appears to be only a matter of time, but the Spanish giants still have an important hurdle to overcome before the move can be fully completed.

According to a report from The Athletic, Benfica have no intention of negotiating a reduced compensation package as Mourinho edges closer to taking charge at the Santiago Bernabeu for a second spell. 

While an official announcement is expected to arrive after Real Madrid’s presidential election process concludes, work is already well underway.

In fact, the Portuguese coach has reportedly reached an agreement with Real Madrid, and preparations for his arrival have already begun. 

However, the financial aspect of his departure from Benfica remains unresolved.

What’s the story?

Notably, Mourinho’s contract with Benfica included a release clause worth approximately €6 million. 

Real Madrid have a deal in place with Mourinho. (Photo by Alex Broadway/Getty Images)

However, that clause was only active for ten working days following Benfica’s final match of the season and officially expired on May 29.

So, the reason why Real Madrid did not activate that clause was because of Florentino Perez’s decision to call presidential elections. 

Although Perez has continued carrying out his duties as club president during the campaign period, the circumstances surrounding the election created uncertainty regarding the timing of several important decisions.

It must be noted that Real Madrid reached a full agreement with Mourinho during the week following Benfica’s final game on May 16. 

The Portuguese manager is understood to have signed a three-year contract with the club during that period.

Real Madrid will have to pay €15 million for Mourinho. (Photo by Alex Broadway/Getty Images)

At that stage, however, it was not completely certain that a presidential election would take place, which complicated the handling of the release clause situation.

So what now?

With the clause now expired, Real Madrid can no longer rely on the original exit mechanism. 

Instead, any compensation package must be negotiated directly with Benfica and that is where the challenge begins.

In that context, Benfica are not expected to lower their demands and currently have little incentive to negotiate a reduced fee from the stipulated €15 million. 

Simply put, Benfica still hold an important card in the negotiations and are showing no signs of making Mourinho’s departure any easier for the Spanish giants.