Real Madrid face doubled Mourinho fee as Benfica exit clause expires Tuesday

Real Madrid are facing a sharply higher bill to appoint José Mourinho as manager after a presidential election at the club froze the move just days before his €7m Benfica exit clause expires on Tuesday.

According to Diario AS, if Real Madrid fail to activate the clause before it lapses, Benfica will demand €15m — the equivalent of Mourinho’s gross annual salary at the Lisbon club — as their opening price for releasing him. Negotiations to lower that figure cannot be ruled out, but it is considered unlikely to fall back to the original €7m threshold.

The delay stems from Real Madrid’s electoral board ratifying the candidacy of Enrique Riquelme, who will challenge long-serving president Florentino Perez for the club’s top job. Perez has been the driving force behind the plan to bring Mourinho back to the Bernabéu, 13 years after his first spell in charge, and has reportedly already agreed a two-year contract with the 61-year-old. The election has, however, put the formal conclusion of that deal on hold.

Despite the uncertainty, Mourinho himself is said to be relaxed about the situation. The Portuguese coach remains eager for a second stint at Real Madrid and does not believe the political complications at the club will ultimately derail his return. With pre-season still weeks away, there is time for the situation to be resolved, though the financial cost of waiting is set to rise significantly from midnight Tuesday.