News Focus
- Real Madrid must pay €15m instead of €7m if they miss the Tuesday deadline
- Club presidential elections are blocking Mourinho’s immediate return to the Bernabeu
- The Portuguese manager is desperate to begin his second spell at the Spanish giants
- Florentino Perez has already agreed a two-year contract with the former Chelsea boss
Real Madrid face a race against time to secure Jose Mourinho’s return. The Portuguese manager’s release clause at Benfica stands at €7 million until Tuesday. After this deadline passes, the Lisbon club will demand €15 million.
The Spanish giants have identified Mourinho as their preferred choice to take charge. However, internal politics at the Bernabeu have blocked the move. Presidential elections have been called after Enrique Riquelme secured his candidacy to challenge current president Florentino Perez.
Perez has driven the effort to bring Mourinho back thirteen years after his first spell. He has already agreed a two-year contract with the former Chelsea and Manchester United boss. Yet the election process has forced the club to pause finalising the appointment.
According to reports in Spain, the €7 million exit clause expires this Tuesday. If Real Madrid fail to activate it, Benfica will ask for €15 million. This figure matches Mourinho’s gross salary at the Portuguese club. While negotiations could reduce this amount, the price is unlikely to drop back to €7 million.
Mourinho remains calm about the situation. He is eager to return to Madrid for a second spell in charge. The delay does not worry him, as he believes the opportunity will not disappear.
There are still several weeks before pre-season training begins. This gives both parties time to complete the agreement. However, the next twenty-four hours could prove crucial for the deal’s financial terms.