Real Madrid, Jose Mourinho’s Stance on Managerial Reunion After Contract Revelation

Lisbon—José Mourinho stepped into the pre-match auditorium at the Estádio da Luz on Monday evening wearing the wry smile that once defined every Clásico week in Madrid. Less than 24 hours before Benfica host Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie, the Portuguese coach was asked the question that refuses to die: could he trade the red of Benfica for the white of Madrid this summer?

“I don’t want to fuel stories that don’t exist,” Mourinho began, before promptly striking the match. “I have one more year on my contract with Benfica; it’s special because it’s an election period and we wanted to protect a new president. It has an easy-to-break clause. I have nothing against Madrid.”

Spanish daily AS reports that the clause is more than easy—it is cost-free. If Mourinho opts to leave within ten days of Benfica’s final competitive match of the season, no compensation would be owed. The timing coincides neatly with the traditional end-of-season managerial carousel, and sources close to the Bernabéu hierarchy admit the loophole has not gone unnoticed.

Pressed on whether any coach could refuse Real Madrid, Mourinho grinned. “Yes, you can,” he said, pausing just long enough to let the room absorb the caveat.

Mourinho’s history with Madrid is equal parts glitter and gunpowder. Between 2010 and 2013 he delivered a record 100-point Liga title and ended Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona stranglehold, yet also presided over dressing-room fractures and a three-year run of Champions League semifinal heartbreaks. Reflecting on that era, Mourinho labelled it “difficult, intense and violent,” adding, “I did some things well and some things badly.”

Twelve years on, the scars appear softer. “When a professional gives everything, there is a connection that lasts forever,” he insisted. “My feeling after these 12 years with the Madrid fans is the same as theirs: they respect me and hold me in high esteem.”

Respect inside the club may start at the very top. According to The Independent, president Florentino Pérez “never went off” Mourinho and still views him as “the best coach he’s had at the club.” While other board members are said to be “warming” to the idea of a return, AS maintains the Portuguese is not currently on the shortlist should Carlo Ancelotti leave.

Tuesday’s encounter offers Mourinho a dual audition: eliminate the 14-time European champions and he strengthens his hand with Benfica’s electorate; impress the visitors’ entourage and the whispering campaign gains volume. Mourinho admitted he last spoke to Pérez on the day he rejoined Benfica in September. “He told me he was very happy because I had signed for a great club. He didn’t come to the last match; I hope he’ll be here tomorrow so I can talk to him. We’re great friends.”

For now, Mourinho’s focus is on the pitch, where Benfica will attempt to replicate the January group-stage victory that propelled them into the knockout rounds. Off the pitch, the clause ticks like a metronome. Madrid-watchers know the club rarely hesitates when a preferred target becomes financially painless to secure.

Whether Mourinho ultimately triggers the escape hatch—or whether Madrid make the call that, per AS, “could change everything”—will dominate headlines long after the final whistle of this two-legged tie. For a coach who claims the game is won in press conferences as much as in 90 minutes, the opening salvo has already been delivered.