Mourinho will decide on the future during talks with Real Madrid next week

Jose Mourinho has opened the door to a return to Real Madrid and says his agent is in contact with the Spanish club, but the Benfica manager insisted there is no offer on the table and he is in no rush to decide.

Mourinho, ⁠63, led Benfica to an unbeaten season in the Portuguese Primeira Liga this season, finishing third, and has emerged as the leading candidate to replace Real coach Alvaro Arbeloa according to Spanish and Portuguese media.

Mourinho, who won a La Liga title and the Copa del Rey during his previous three-year spell at Real, is under contract with Benfica until June 2027 and he said the Portuguese club has already proposed an extension.

“My future must be decided this week,” Mourinho told reporters on Saturday.

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«I have a proposal from Benfica. I don’t have a proposal from Real Madrid. At the same time I said that to hide the fact that there is nothing; we cannot do that. There is something, but not directly with me.»

«I need time, I need space; I need time to make my decision, and this week, I think, is going to be very important.» Arbeloa praised Mourinho and welcomed the prospect of his return to the club, where he coached from 2010 to 2013.

“For me, as one of his players, but especially as a Real Madrid fan, I feel he is number one and I think he is number one,” Arbeloa said on Saturday.

“And I think I felt that way a month ago, and I will continue to feel that Jose has been, is and always will be one of us, and if he is the one here next season, I will be very happy to see him back home.”

Mourinho has previously coached Chelsea, Inter Milan, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur and has also lifted the Champions League trophy twice in his career.

Published on May 17, 2026