Portuguese giants SL Benfica have confirmed the appointment of Marco Silva as their new head coach, ushering in a new chapter at the Estadio da Luz following the departure of José Mourinho to Real Madrid.
Silva returns to Portugal after ending a successful five-year spell with Fulham FC, where his contract expired last week. Benfica announced that an agreement had been reached with the 48-year-old manager, who is expected to sign a deal running until the end of the 2027-28 season, with an option to extend it through the 2028-29 campaign.
The former Fulham boss has built a strong managerial reputation through spells with Hull City, Watford FC and Everton FC before guiding Fulham through a period of stability and consistency in the Premier League.
Silva’s appointment comes as Benfica bid farewell to Mourinho, whose second stint with the club has ended after receiving an offer from Real Madrid. The Spanish giants agreed to pay €15 million (£13 million) to activate the release clause in Mourinho’s contract and secure his return to the Santiago Bernabéu.
Mourinho took charge of Benfica in September and leaves after a brief but successful spell. Under his leadership, the Lisbon club finished third in the Primeira Liga and completed the league season unbeaten.
In a statement, Benfica confirmed the move, saying Real Madrid had formalised its intention to appoint Mourinho by triggering the release clause in his contract and that the coach had accepted the offer.
The club added that it wished Mourinho success in the next stage of his career.
The departure marks the end of Mourinho’s second tenure at Benfica. The veteran coach previously worked at the club as an assistant and briefly managed the first team in 2000 before establishing himself among football’s elite managers.
Mourinho now returns to Real Madrid, where he enjoyed one of the most successful periods of his career between 2010 and 2013. During that spell, he guided the Spanish club to a La Liga title, a Copa del Rey triumph and a Spanish Super Cup while ending the domestic dominance of rivals FC Barcelona.
Real Madrid paved the way for Mourinho’s arrival by confirming the departure of head coach Álvaro Arbeloa. In a statement, the club thanked Arbeloa for his loyalty, commitment and professionalism throughout his association with the club and wished him success in the future.
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