Fulham confirm Marco Silva exit with manager joining Euro giants as Romano reveals ‘agreement’ | OneFootball

Fulham have confirmed that Marco Silva will leave the Premier League side when his contract expires this month and he is joining Benfica.

Silva has done a superb job at Fulham, comfortably keeping the London side in the Premier League for four seasons with four straight mid-table finishes.

This has fuelled reports linking Silva with an upward move elsewhere over the past year, and he was always likely to leave upon the expiry of his current contract at the end of this season.

And Fulham have now confirmed that he is moving on, and Silva has penned an open letter to their supporters.

Silva said on leaving Fulham: “After five years, our journey together comes to an end. I leave with a feeling I was told when I first arrived – that Fulham Football Club is a family.

“Thanks to Mr Khan, Tony and Alistair for their support and, above all, for the relationship we built.

“Thank you for the great work of all the Club staff members behind the scenes.

“The players will be left with great memories and moments that we shared together through our hard work.

“Last, but not least, to our fans – I asked you from day one, to always be with us. And that’s what you did these past five years. We achieved a lot together.

“My staff and I always felt your support. It will never be forgotten.

“Fulham will always be in my heart, and sooner or later I will be back at Craven Cottage.”

And Silva will be heading to Benfica to replace Jose Mourinho, with Fabrizio Romano reporting that there is an “agreement” between the European giants and the experienced manager.

Deal done for Marco Silva to join Benfica

Romano said on X: ‘BREAKING: Marco Silva agrees to become new Benfica manager, here we go!

‘Silva leaves Fulham and signs contract until June 2028 plus option until 2029 at Benfica reducing salary to fight for titles.

‘Back to Portugal after 10 years, wanted by both Rui Costa and Mario Branco.’

On Silva, Fulham owner Shahid Khan said: “Marco Silva leaves our Club with my gratitude and best wishes. Fulham and Marco were an excellent fit for five seasons, but change is inevitable in this game, and we’ve accordingly prepared for this moment.

“The talent in our squad, our historic home ground of Craven Cottage, our faithful supporters, and my commitment to backing the Club, all make Fulham an extraordinarily attractive destination for an incoming head coach.

“We will soon appoint a new leader in a timely but deliberate manner, who will meet the standards of our Club and expectations of our fans throughout the world.”