“Benfica waiting for Mourinho’s decision by Friday.”

Benfica and José Mourinho: the countdown to an explosive exit ends this Friday!

The clock is ticking and Benfica is on the verge of closing one of the most turbulent chapters in its recent history. José Mourinho, the most prominent figure in Portuguese football, has until this Friday, May 29, to decide whether to activate the release clause that allows him to leave the club for a reduced fee of 7 million euros. After this deadline, the price doubles to 15 million euros. A true race against time that could radically change Benfica’s future.

Although there is still a year left on his contract, the truth is that no one expects Mourinho to remain with the club for the 2026/2027 season. The contract itself, disclosed by the Securities Market Commission in September 2025, provides for this possibility of departure: ten business days after the last official match of the 2025/26 season, both Benfica and the coach can decide not to renew the agreement for the following season. And those ten business days end precisely this Friday.

According to exclusive confirmations, the “discount” for Mourinho to leave for 7 million ends on this fateful date. After that, Benfica will only accept his departure upon full payment of 15 million, an amount practically equivalent to the salary the coach would earn if he remained at the Luz. The club is aware that Mourinho’s departure is inevitable and is already preparing for succession. Marco Silva is emerging as the favorite to take over the technical command, waiting only for the official moment to proceed.

Behind the scenes, the situation is even more turbulent. Mourinho already has an agreement with Florentino Pérez, president of Real Madrid, to return to the Spanish club. The initial plan was to announce the Portuguese coach this Sunday, with the presentation scheduled for today, but the entry of businessman Enrique Riquelme, a candidate in the Real Madrid elections, has complicated the process. Riquelme, leader of the powerful Grupo Cox, valued at over one billion euros on the stock market, rejected any direct connection with Mourinho, labeling him as a “quick fix” for the club’s current situation.

In strong statements to the newspaper ABC, Enrique Riquelme said: “I have never been a mourinhista or a non-mourinhista; I am a madridista. He is a coach, he is a great coach and has achieved a lot of success. He has a peculiar style of managing the locker room. At certain moments it can be good or not for a particular club. But I think Real Madrid needs a long-term project, not a short-term one, and does not need a quick fix for the current moment.”

Meanwhile, Benfica remains on high alert, awaiting Mourinho’s final decision. The uncertainty is hindering planning for the next season, but the club knows that if the coach chooses to stay, Real Madrid will have no issues paying the demanded €15 million. The elections for the presidency of Real Madrid still do not have an official date, but it is speculated that they may take place on June 7. The visit of Pope Leo XIV to Madrid could delay this date, further increasing the uncertainty.

Florentino Pérez will have a crucial opportunity this Wednesday to clarify the future of the Portuguese coach during the official presentation of his candidacy for the presidency of Real Madrid. The outcome of this saga promises to shake up the market and determine the direction of one of the world’s largest clubs and the most high-profile coach in contemporary football.

Stay tuned: Friday is the deadline for Mourinho to decide whether to activate the release clause and leave Benfica for a special price or face the heavy financial penalty that could hinder his departure. Portuguese and international football are in suspense awaiting the next chapter of this explosive story!

This article first appeared on Apito Final.