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José Mourinho's future as Real Madrid's head coach has been confirmed, pending only the official announcement. A comprehensive verbal agreement has been reached between the manager and his agent Jorge Mendes on all essential points: contract duration and salary, with just the signing remaining. As previously revealed by As, after Benfica's season concluded, Mourinho met with Benfica president Rui Costa on Monday. It is understood that during this meeting, Mourinho informed Rui Costa that he would not accept the renewal offer on the table, which would have kept him in Lisbon for another two seasons with a pay raise.
Nevertheless, the Portuguese coach's contract with Real Madrid has not yet been signed, as it awaits Florentino Pérez's re-election as president on the 24th. Mourinho has one year remaining on his Benfica contract, so even in the unlikely event that his move to Real Madrid is ultimately blocked—such as if Enrique Riquelme runs for president and wins—he has a safety net. In that case, Mourinho would still have one year left on his contract in Lisbon and would not be left in a difficult position.
Mourinho: Two Years Plus One Option Year
The main terms of Mourinho's contract with Real Madrid have been finalized, with only a few details to be ironed out in the coming hours. The Portuguese will sign a two-year contract, with an automatic one-year extension if Real Madrid wins La Liga under his leadership.
The Portuguese coach is only waiting for the official offer, i.e., the contract, to sign. His plan is to stay in Lisbon until Thursday, then travel to London—where he resides and his family lives—to rest for a few days. If everything goes as expected, he will arrive in Madrid later next week or early the following week to sign the new contract. The idea is that from the beginning of June, he will be fully in charge of his new project at Real Madrid. The coach has not yet informed his assistant team of his signing, but he is counting on them to join him in this new phase at Real Madrid.
Clear Timeline
In any case, the timeline for the official announcement is quite clear and is affected by Real Madrid's public election process. The ten-day period for candidate registration will end on May 23rd. Therefore, Florentino Pérez will be announced as president on the 24th, and the official announcement will take place immediately afterward—most likely on Monday. The clause allowing Mourinho to leave Benfica for a minimum release clause expires on May 26th.
In fact, according to the club's statutes, the current board of directors has the authority to make signings and decisions of any kind before the new president takes office. However, finalizing the Portuguese coach before the registration deadline would not be reasonable, because if an unexpected candidate emerges and wins, the new president would have to face a head coach not chosen by his board in his first season.
