A clause in Jose Mourinho’s current deal at Benfica could see a shock move in the pipeline.
Mourinho was at the centre of controversy last night in the Champions League after Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr reported racial abuse to the referee from Benfica player Gianluca Prestianni, claims that Prestianni denies.
Mourinho, however, was unsympathetic to these very serious accusations, claiming, “When you score a goal like that, you celebrate in a respectful way”, and stating, “this club, the last thing that it is, is racist,” given that former striker, Eusebio, was black.
Clause revealed in Jose Mourinho’s contract, following appalling reaction to racism accusation
Mourinho's comments have been widely condemned by the football world, with the likes of Thierry Henry on CBS Sports and Clarence Seedorf on Amazon Prime both commenting on the Portuguese's reaction, with Seedorf going so far as to say Mourinho “made a big mistake to justify racial abuse”.
Prior to the two clubs meeting last night though, Mourinho appeared to leave the door open to a return to the Bernabeu, claiming “this connection will never end” when asked about his time in Madrid.
🤍 José Mourinho: “I gave all my best for Real Madrid. That’s why people respectme”.“I will be a Madridista FOREVER. This connection will never end”. pic.twitter.com/J6LLosHsmtFebruary 16, 2026
Mourinho was linked with Los Blancos after the departure of Xabi Alonso – and according to AS, the Special One's two-year deal at Benfica has a break clause that would allow him to leave the club within 10 days of the final match of the season to join any other club without any financial penalty.
Persistent links to the job with the Portugal national team after the World Cup are said to have a remote chance, based on the same report, which would likely leave the former Chelsea man weighing up a move to another club side.
That’s if he chooses to depart, with the current indication being that he intends to stay at Benfica and continue building.
However, sources have reportedly told AS that a call from Madrid would flip that notion on its head.
Mourinho said he was close to a return to the Bernabeu before signing for Benfica, and is said to retain a fan in Florentino Perez, which could prove interesting as Los Blancos search for a permanent successor to Xabi Alonso.
In FourFourTwo’s opinion, Real should be looking forward, not back. Although Mourinho achieved a blockbuster result with Benfica against Madrid last month, it’s difficult to say his career has had an upward trajectory over the past few years.
His strength of personality needs no justification, which is a key element of any successful Los Blancos boss, but whether he’s the man to lead the club forward is another question entirely.
Moreover, some reports suggest Alvaro Arbeloa’s takeover from Alonso is more than a mere interim measure, so Perez may not be searching for candidates in any case.
