Soccer-Benfica say Mourinho's Real Madrid return would trigger 15 million euro clause (updated)

Sport Lisboa e Benfica Futebol SAD

04/06/2026 18:02

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    June 4 (Reuters) - Benfica SLBEN.LS said on Thursday that any move by Real Madrid presidential candidate Florentino Perez to appoint Jose Mourinho as coach would require payment of the Portuguese manager's 15 million euro termination clause.
In a statement to Portugal's CMVMmarket regulator, Benfica said Perez had stated, as part of his campaign for Real Madrid's presidential election on June 7, his "firm intention" to appoint Mourinho if re-elected.
"Should this scenario arise, the appointment will be made for a fee of €15,000,000, corresponding to the termination clause in the current sports employment contract," Benfica's statement read.
Mourinho is under contract with Benfica until June 2027 and had previously said the club had proposed a renewal.
Earlier on Thursday, Perez told Spanish sports newspaper AS that Mourinho and Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate would be his first signings if he wins another term at the helm of the LaLiga club.
Perez is facing renewable energy entrepreneur Enrique Riquelme in Real's first contested presidential election for 20 years.
The move for Mourinho, who guided Real to a record LaLiga points tally in 2012 but last lifted a league title with Chelsea in 2015, follows a domestic campaign in which Barcelona secured back-to-back titles.
Real, 15-time Champions League winners, have also exited Europe's top club competition at the quarter-final stage in the last two seasons, with the absence of major silverware prompting Perez to call elections.
Mourinho has managed several other top clubs, including Manchester United, Roma, Fenerbahce and, most recently, Benfica.

(Gdansk Newsroom; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
((gdansk.newsroom@thomsonreuters.com; +48 58 769 66 00;))