Jose Mourinho declined to address the swirling speculation surrounding a potential return to coach Real Madrid next season.
According to reports, Madrid president Florentino Pérez reportedly views the current manager of Benfica as his top choice to succeed Álvaro Arbeloa at the season’s end.
When questioned by reporters on Tuesday about the rumors and whether he’d been in contact with Pérez, Mourinho chose to remain silent. The 63-year-old is under contract with Benfica until June 2027.
Mourinho has recently expressed his desire to continue at Benfica beyond this summer, although he noted that “once the season concludes, we’ll have 10 days to decide whether to stay or part ways.”
Benfica midfielder Richard Ríos is hopeful that Mourinho will remain with the team.
When asked about Mourinho’s potential return to Madrid this summer, the Colombian player commented to Diario As: “I honestly don’t know. I hope not—I’d like him to stay with us.”
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“Every day, I learn something new from him. His remarkable character is like no other, and he inspires us like nobody else can. His career accomplishments are incredible; he’s been excelling for years and has won everything. You can see that he never loses his ambition. His drive is as strong as ever, and that motivates me to push myself further as a player.”
Mourinho led Madrid to a LaLiga title, as well as victories in the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Supercup during his three-year tenure at the Bernabéu before departing in 2013. He returned to Benfica in September after spending 21 years coaching outside the club.
With three league matches left, Benfica remains the only unbeaten team in Portugal’s top division, currently sitting in second place, seven points behind the leaders, FC Porto.