Jose Mourinho has fuelled speculation of an imminent return to Real Madrid after effectively backtracking on his previous commitment to extend his stay at Benfica.
Following a 2-2 draw with Braga, the Portuguese tactician admitted he is no longer thinking about a new contract in Lisbon, while appearing to bid an emotional farewell to his squad.
Despite stating in March that he would sign a two-year extension without hesitation, Mourinho now appears destined for the exit door at the Estadio da Luz.
His change of heart coincides with growing reports that Madrid are preparing to replace Alvaro Arbeloa this summer after he failed to prevent Barcelona from defending the Liga title.
While Arbeloa remains in charge for now, the club’s failure to secure any major silverware has led to claims that Mourinho could be called back for a second spell in Madrid.
Mourinho explains U-turn
As quoted by A Bola, Mourinho’s stance has shifted significantly since earlier in the spring.
On March 1, he had expressed a firm desire to remain at Benfica, stating: “I want to stay, respect my contract with Benfica, and if they want to renew it for another two years, I’ll sign it without arguing a single word.”
However, when asked if that commitment still stood after Monday night’s draw with Braga, he replied: “No. Because March 1st is March 1st, and because the last week of the championship, the last two weeks of the championship, is not for thinking about the future, it’s not for thinking about contracts.
“It’s for thinking about the mission we had, which was to perform the miracle of finishing second.
“And when I say miracle, I think you understand what I mean by miracle.
“From the moment we entered this final phase of the season, with these games that decided something important for the club, I decided that I didn’t want to listen to anyone, that I wanted to be, so to speak, isolated in my workspace.
“And then, as I said a couple of weeks ago, there’s a game against Estoril on Saturday, and I think that from Monday onwards I’ll be able to answer that question, the question of my future as a coach and the future of Benfica.”
‘It’s up to me’
Mourinho utilised his session with the media to shield his players and reflect on his time with the squad.
He said: “It’s a group I had a lot of fun with, a group I always went to training with happy to be with.
“I always left training happy to have worked with them. It’s a good group of men.”
Furthermore, the manager was defiant when pressed on why he has refused to provide clarity on the ongoing Madrid links.
“Of course, it’s up to me to give that answer.
“Have you ever seen me hide my decisions, my responsibilities?
“Now, nobody can force me to decide, much less communicate decisions, because I’m the one who decides when,” he said.
“In my head, since the talk of possibilities began, I’ve only seen one thing: to work and do my best, and I won’t stop until the game against Estoril.
“That’s the respect Benfica deserves, that’s the respect my profession deserves, and nobody should touch that.
“Unless some idiot does, but in my professional dignity, my honesty, and my respect for a club like Benfica, nobody should touch that.
“Therefore, I have the right to remain isolated.
“I continue to say that I haven’t spoken to anyone from another club; now there’s talk of Real Madrid, but it could be any other club.
“I haven’t spoken to anyone from any club.
“But from the moment we entered this final phase of the season, I think it made absolutely no sense to do anything other than concentrate on my job.
“Starting Sunday I’ll have that opportunity.”
Mourinho added when pressed on his comments on the squad
“When you say it sounded like a farewell, it doesn’t sound like a farewell at all.
“It sounds like the respect I have for them and it sounds like a pre-emptive defence, because football has these things, football is very ungrateful many times, and for them to be criticised today seems unfair to me…
“When I criticised them after Casa Pia, it came from my heart, it came from my soul, I was heavily criticised for it, but that’s my nature, my nature is to always try to be fair to my players.
“And today, the day when it’s thought that Benfica won’t finish second, is the day I have to step aside and defend them because I think they deserve it.
“And I’ll stop here because I don’t want to start next season punished. I’ve decided to stop here.
“There’s only one game left, only eight days left, normally suspensions are for 20 days, 30 days, 40 days, five games, four games, I don’t know what.”
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The final curtain at Estoril
Mourinho will lead Benfica for what is widely expected to be his final match this Saturday, May 16, when they travel to Estoril looking to complete an unbeaten Liga Portugal season and secure a top-two finish, though they will now need Sporting to slip up in their last game to achieve the latter.
Once the domestic campaign concludes, the focus will shift immediately to Madrid, where Florentino Perez is reportedly waiting to trigger a formal move for the legendary coach.
With a 10-day release clause window approaching in Mourinho’s current deal, which runs to 2027, a definitive announcement regarding a potential blockbuster return to the Bernabeu appears to be only days away.
