José Mourinho, on February 25, was a coach who had broken ties with a part of the Real Madrid fanbase. The irony? Just days earlier, both sides had expected an emotional reunion that never materialized during the Champions League playoff return leg against Real Madrid. But that reunion could happen just months later, as perceptions have shifted from viewing the Portuguese as a man of the past to seeing him as the biggest hope for the club’s immediate future. He, a lifelong Benfica supporter, had learned to say “no” to Florentino Pérez.
Why is Mourinho the Real Madrid option?
In Lisbon, there is a mix of resignation and disappointment over the potential departure of Mourinho to Real Madrid. Partly because many believe that Benfica rescued “The Special One” from the obscurity he faced at Fenerbahçe. “All he did in Turkey was bring attention to the league, but he didn’t improve the club at all. Even his successor, Domenico Tedesco, worked to build something different, though he also failed,” sources close to the Turkish Super League commented, describing a league as volatile as the coach from Setúbal.
Florentino Pérez and Mourinho on the Real Madrid bench / Juan Carlos Hidalgo / EFE
Mourinho now hears the same criticisms as before: he hasn’t won a trophy since 2022, when he claimed the Conference League with Roma, and hasn’t truly competed for a major league title since 2015, when he won the Premier League with Chelsea—the last team with which he also advanced past a Champions League knockout, back in 2014. Yet, the narrative also recalls Carlo Ancelotti’s second stint at Real Madrid after battling for European spots with Everton, seemingly far from top-tier football.
Mourinho emerges as the only market option capable of restoring order in a fractured dressing room. That has little to do with a tactical blueprint and much to do with immediate results. And at Benfica, returning to his roots, he once again felt valued and important. For the Lisbon club’s president, Rui Costa, it was a win-win that could backfire if he fails to retain a coach who would leave €3 million in the Da Luz coffers if he moves to Madrid. But it would also leave an immense void in every other aspect.
The Butterfly Effect of Trubin’s Goal
“We are confused by the situation. Not long ago, we had the feeling that Mourinho would stay at the club for at least another season. They wanted to build a team for him, as indicated by moves to sign Felipe Augusto (Trabzonspor) or Seydou Doumbia (Venezia),” said a source familiar with the daily life of a Benfica side that reignited memories of Mourinho’s Real Madrid in the Champions League. The goal by goalkeeper Trubin in the dying moments of the league phase had a butterfly effect. Without it, perhaps it would never have been clear that the Portuguese coach still had competitive edge.
“I Was There”: Benfica sells personalized merchandise commemorating Trubin’s goal
Denís Iglesias
That play proved he was ready for one last European dance, even though he later failed to eliminate Real Madrid in the playoff that Benfica qualified for thanks to that match. The incident between Prestianni and Vinicius clouded public opinion, but did not diminish Florentino Pérez’s high regard for him. Even within the Madrid club, the defense of the Argentine was seen as an act of solidarity—the very type of behavior they seek to revive with his arrival. A move that stirs frustration in Lisbon.
“Of course, Benfica can never pay him what Real Madrid can offer for two years. But we believed he really wanted to win something with Benfica, his own club,” said a fanbase that had largely sided with him, only to feel let down.
