José Mourinho has left the door open for a sensational return to the Santiago Bernabéu, as he admitted he can not “guarantee” his future at Benfica past this summer time. However, a return this summer time feels unbelievable.
With present Real Madrid head coach Álvaro Arbeloa’s days successfully numbered following the membership’s high-drama Champions League quarterfinal exit to Bayern Munich, hypothesis is rife over the following man to take the recent seat on the Bernabéu.
Mourinho beforehand coached Madrid between 2010 and 2013, profitable one La Liga title, in addition to the Copa del Rey and Supercopa, as he battled Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona for supremacy.
The 63-year-old Portuguese, who was appointed at Benfica final September, was additionally linked with Madrid previous to Arbeloa’s appointment in January and is acknowledged as a favourite of membership president Florentino Pérez.
Mourinho Coy on Benfica Future
With the highest job prone to be obtainable as soon as once more, Mourinho’s identify has remained within the combine—albeit as an outsider—whereas the person himself has seemingly refused to rule himself out of the Real Madrid working, regardless of being below contract in Portugal till 2027.
Speaking in a current press convention, Mourinho stated: “Can I guarantee that I’ll be at Benfica next season? That’s something I talked about two months ago, weeks ago, and a few days ago.“
“I can’t guarantee what will happen,” he added, before addressing the journalist who posed the question: “Can you guarantee you’ll still be in your job?”
The journalist replied, playfully: “I can, because nobody wants me.”
In addition to Madrid, Mourinho has also been touted as a possible candidate at Newcastle United, should they look to replace Eddie Howe.
Why Mourinho Return Feels Unlikely Now
Reports in Spain say Mourinho is open to a return, while there is always clamor for the Portuguese from some quarters at a club as nostalgic as Real Madrid.
Ever since his left Mourinho’s name has never been far from the bookmakers’ lists of possible candidates. However, a glorious return at this stage of his career feels unlikely for a number of reasons.
Firstly, the self-styled “Special One” has enjoyed diminishing returns since his Real Madrid heyday. When he arrived at the Bernabéu, he was the man who had lifted the Champions League with Porto and Inter, with a record-breaking spell at Chelsea in between. Charismatic and a fierce leader of men, he had an almost supernatural command over his players and a cutting-edge approach to tactics.
After leaving Madrid, he returned to Chelsea where he won the 2014–15 Premier League season. However, that remains his only league title of the last 12 years.
Stints at Manchester United and Tottenham were blighted by controversy and underwhelming results, while the downward trend continued at Roma and Fenerbahçe. An unattractive defensive style of soccer has been coupled with off-field controversies, such as high-profile fallings out with key players, owners, referees, rival coaches and league officials.
How Has Mourinho Been Doing at Benfica?
Since taking over at Benfica in September 2025, Mourinho has enjoyed a 60% win ratio and led the club to second in the league table, amid a remarkable unbeaten season. Despite the feat, they remain some way off league leaders Porto.
Only Sporting CP have scored more than Benfica’s 63 in the league, while Mourinho’s team also have the second-best defensive record.
Marquee performances include the 4–2 win over Real Madrid in the Champions League group stage, during which goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin scored a 97th-minute header to send Benfica through to the knockout stages.
If that result in January was a reminder of Mourinho’s enduring status as a heavyweight in big-game scenarios, Madrid got a look at the darker side of his character in the rematch when the two were paired together in the Champions League knockout phase play-offs.
Racism Row Deepens Divide
Madrid came out on top 3–1 on aggregate in an ill-tempered affair, which was marred by accusations of racism against Vinicius Junior from Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni.
Mourinho, who was banned for the second leg after a red card in the first, castigated Vinicius’s goal celebration and insisted Benfica as a club was “not racist”—a response that drew widespread criticism.
Speaking to Amazon Prime after the match, Mourinho stated: “I told [Vinicius], when you score a goal like that you just celebrate and walk back. They [Vinicius and Prestianni] told me different things. But I don’t believe in one or another. I want to be an independent.
“When he was arguing about racism, I told him the biggest person [Eusébio] in the history of this club was black. This club, the last thing that it is, is racist.”
Mourinho later insisted Prestianni’s Benfica profession could be “over” if an investigation by UEFA discovered him responsible of racist abuse.
Despite the walk-back, it’s onerous to think about the veteran coach sharing a dressing room with Vinicius now.
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