Can José Mourinho be sacked for misconduct? Benfica in hot water | OneFootball

The video showing José Mourinho linked to Real Madrid was not well received behind the scenes at Benfica. Although the content emerged as part of the election campaign for the Madrid club’s presidential elections, Rui Costa and the rest of Benfica’s hierarchy did not expect to see the Portuguese coach tied so explicitly to Los Blancos at a time when he remains contractually bound to the club from Luz.

According to Record, although it is public knowledge that Mourinho is Florentino Pérez’s choice to take charge of Real Madrid if the current president is re-elected, the release of the video surprised Benfica officials. This despite the fact that the images were reportedly produced using Artificial Intelligence.

Even so, the publication should not have disciplinary consequences for the coach. At least that is the interpretation of lawyer Henrique Nunes, who was part of João Diogo Manteigas’s bid for the Benfica presidency. In his view, Benfica SAD was already aware, directly or indirectly, of the contacts between Mourinho and Real Madrid, which removes the basis for any possible claim of just cause.

“It seems to me that there are talks between Florentino Pérez, Real Madrid and José Mourinho, through his agent, and that Benfica was aware of the candidate’s interest in hiring him. The statement sent to the CMVM gives precisely that idea. When there is talk of a firm intention to pay the release clause, it is clear that Benfica was, in some way, aware of this entire process,” he explained.

Henrique Nunes went further and raised an alternative hypothesis in case Florentino Pérez does not win Sunday’s elections: “Let us imagine that Florentino loses. What happens then? This is a legally complex issue. If Benfica had known nothing, it could eventually invoke just cause. But that does not seem to be the scenario. Everything indicates that the club was directly or indirectly informed about what was happening. In those circumstances, the just-cause argument loses strength,” he argued.

The lawyer therefore believes that a possible victory for Enrique Riquelme could force the parties to find a negotiated solution. “If that scenario is confirmed, the only way out will be to negotiate a possible termination or a solution that satisfies both parties,” he concluded.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.