Benfica confirm Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid return AND announce Marco Silva

Marco Silva is the new Benfica coach

Benfica experienced a night of true upheaval in its coaching staff. In two statements sent to the Portuguese Securities Market Commission (CMVM) this Tuesday, the Eagles confirmed Jos9 Mourinho's departure to Real Madrid and the immediate agreement with Marco Silva.

The response from the0encarnada board was immediate. Minutes later, Benfica officially announced the arrival of Marco Silva to fill the vacant position.

The Portuguese coach, thus returning to domestic football, signed a contract valid for two seasons, with an extension clause that could prolong the deal until the 2028/29 season.

Marco Silva, 48, succeeds Jos9 Mourinho in the role.0After five seasons at Fulham, Marco Silva ends a decade-long journey in English football, which began at Hull City (2016/17), continued at Watford (2017/18) and Everton (2018 to 2019), before joining the0cottagers0in 2021/22, which was the only season he did not compete in the Premier League.

That year, he led the London side to the Championship title, England's second tier, and subsequent promotion to the Premier League, where he achieved, consecutively, a 10th place finish (2022/23), 13th (2023/24), 11th (2024/25) and again 11th (2025/26), always with points totals around the 50 mark (52 in 2022/23, 47 in 2023/24, 54 in 2024/25 and 52 in 2025/26).

He began his coaching career at Estoril Praia—the club where he retired as a player and also briefly served as sporting director—winning the Liga 2 title with Estoril in his very first season, 2011/12. In the following two seasons, he led them to fifth and then fourth place in the top division, as well as qualification for the Europa League in both campaigns.

He then moved to Sporting and, in his only season in charge of the0leF5es, finished third in the league and won the Portuguese Cup, in a final against SC Braga, in 2014/15.

Between leaving the0verdes e brancos0and heading to England, he managed Greek side Olympiacos, with whom he lifted the Greek championship trophy (2015/16).

Marco Silva is the sixth Benfica coach since Rui Costa became club president in 2021. During this period, the01guias0have been led by Jorge Jesus, N9lson VerDssimo, Roger Schmidt, Bruno Lage, and Jos9 Mourinho, but have only won one league title, under the German's command, in 2022/23.

The Spanish club agreed to pay the 15 million euro release clause for the Portuguese coach, who has already given his full agreement to move to the Spanish capital.

Read also - Mourinho in Madrid to sign a three-year contract with Real

In an official statement, the0encarnado0club bid farewell to the coach with a short and emphatic message: "Thank you, Jos9 Mourinho." The coach's departure leaves the Benfica bench vacant after a brief stint this 2026 season.

Jos9 Mourinho returned to Benfica in September 2025 to replace Bruno Lage, 25 years after his first spell at the Luz, finishing the league unbeaten but in third place, behind champions FC Porto and runners-up Sporting.

Besides missing out on next season's Champions League, Benfica, under Mourinho, was knocked out in the Portuguese Cup quarter-finals by FC Porto, in the League Cup semi-finals by Sporting de Braga, and in the Champions League round of 16 play-off, precisely against Real Madrid.

The 63-year-old coach will return to Real Madrid, after previously spending three seasons with the0merengues, from 2010/11 to 2012/13, winning a Spanish league title, a Copa del Rey, and a Spanish Super Cup.

Read also - Arbeloa steps down as Real Madrid coach, paving the way for Mourinho