Benfica offered Mourinho a new deal amid Real Madrid rumours | OneFootball

Benfica do not want to lose José Mourinho without a fight. Amid the rumors linking the Portuguese coach with Real Madrid, the president of the Lisbon club, Rui Costa, presented him with a formal contract renewal offer, according to the newspaper Record. The ball is now in Mourinho’s court. He signed in September a deal valid until next season, with a clause opening a ten-day window after the final league match for both parties to decide whether they will continue together in 2026-27.

Mourinho himself made the timeline clear on Monday. “There is a match against Estoril and from Monday onward I will be able to answer what my future as a coach and Benfica’s future will be. Relax, there is only one week left,” said the manager, making it clear that he will not speak about the issue before the season ends and the clause comes into effect.

The sporting context adds another element to the equation. Mourinho’s Eagles are still unbeaten in the Portuguese League, but the unbeaten run did not prevent the team from slipping to third place after a 2-2 draw against Braga in the last round. The coach reaches the final stretch of the championship under pressure to keep the club’s ambitions alive in a league that is still undecided.

The rumors linking the Portuguese tactician with Real Madrid are gaining strength at a time when the Spanish giants are going through one of their worst recent seasons, without trophies and with the electoral process announced by Florentino Pérez. The Portuguese coach already managed Madrid between 2010 and 2013, and his name naturally comes up whenever the club needs a strong profile on the bench. For now, Benfica have moved first with a concrete offer. Mourinho’s answer will come next week.

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