Benfica: Madrid must pay $17M to sign Mourinho

Madrid would have to pay Benfica €15 million to hire José Mourinho as coach if Florentino Pérez is re-elected as Real Madrid president, Benfica said on Thursday. Mourinho, 63, previously coached Real Madrid from 2010 to 2013 and would return for a second spell should Pérez win the club’s presidency on 7 June 2026. Benfica’s CMVM filing notes the termination clause of Mourinho’s contract, which runs through June 2027. Pérez faces opposition from Enrique Riquelme in the election; Riquelme has not named a preferred coach but pledges Raúl as director of football and Hierro as academy director while promising to pursue Erling Haaland and Rodri from Manchester City.