Enrique Riquelme's arrival puts Benfica and José Mourinho in a bind | OneFootball

Enrique Riquelme’s entry into the Real Madrid elections significantly delayed José Mourinho’s return. Just when everyone had already taken the Benfica manager’s move to los blancos for granted, the presentation of the Special One, scheduled for next Monday, May 25, was called off.

According to Record newspaper, the 37-year-old businessman’s candidacy ended up delaying the plans of Florentino Pérez, the current head of the merengues. If Riquelme had not managed to enter the race, the acting president would have been re-elected this Sunday, May 24, giving him the green light to announce the return of José Mourinho.

Although Florentino Pérez is seen as the favorite to win the election, the vote itself will delay the arrival of the Special One, with his presentation now only expected to take place after June 7, when the new president of the Spanish club is elected.

Until then, José Mourinho sees his future left in suspense, which also puts Benfica in a delicate situation. With the deadline approaching for the Portuguese coach, Record reports that there is a possibility he could remain at Luz without accepting a contract renewal; however, there will always be the risk of Real Madrid hiring the Special One after the election.

Given this entire scenario, Rui Costa may not have to hire a coach, given the possibility of Mourinho staying. However, Benfica runs the risk of seeing the Portuguese coach leave anyway after June 7; in other words, the Eagles are postponing a decision that appears inevitable and likely to happen soon.

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