Portuguese giants SL Benfica have confirmed that Real Madrid would need to pay a €15 million release fee to secure the services of coach José Mourinho.
Florentino Pérez, president of Real Madrid, is pushing to bring back coach José Mourinho to the Santiago Bernabéu 13 years after his departure in 2013, as he campaigns for re-election this weekend.
In an official statement, Benfica revealed that Pérez had communicated his “firm intention to recruit” Mourinho, while also noting that the Portuguese manager’s release clause stands at €15 million ($17.4m), contrary to earlier reports suggesting a much lower figure of around €3 million.
Mourinho has already featured in a video shared on Pérez’s Instagram account, where he expressed readiness to return to the club he first joined in 2010.
During his previous spell in Madrid, Mourinho won a La Liga title, a Copa del Rey and a Spanish Super Cup, leaving a notable mark despite a turbulent tenure.
Pérez views the potential appointment as a way to restore discipline within a dressing room widely believed to have been affected by growing player influence, especially after Real Madrid ended a second straight season without major silverware.
Mourinho, who joined Benfica in September 2025, guided the club to an unbeaten league campaign, although they ultimately finished third, and still has one year remaining on his contract.
