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Faced with mounting speculation that his manager had already agreed to join Real Madrid, Benfica president Rui Costa found himself repeating the same five words over and over: "José Mourinho is Benfica's coach."
Mourinho threw serious doubt over his own future at the weekend when he confirmed that talks with Madrid had been initiated. The Portuguese tactician had not yet accepted any offer and would first need to assess whether he could meet the expectations placed before him by the club's embattled president Florentino Pérez.
The day after hearing his manager speak so candidly about a potential departure, Costa retreated firmly into his own corner. As an RTP microphone was pushed toward him while he walked through the stadium's car park following Benfica's women's team claiming the Portuguese cup, there was only one subject the reporter wanted to address. Costa had only one response.
"Do you still hope that José Mourinho will remain at Benfica?" the club president was asked. "José Mourinho is Benfica's coach," he replied bluntly. "Until proven otherwise, José Mourinho is Benfica's coach."
When pressed on whether Mourinho would put pen to paper on the contract extension Benfica had presented him, Costa reflected: "That's for him to decide, naturally. As for everything else, I'll speak to Benfica's members this week, go over the season, and take stock."
Any mention of Fulham manager Marco Silva potentially stepping in for Mourinho was met with the same familiar response from Costa: "Benfica's coach, until proven otherwise, is José Mourinho."
Costa About to Be 'Proven Otherwise'
Mourinho signaled that the conclusion of Benfica's season and the arrival of a new week would allow him to give his full attention to Madrid's proposal. The Spanish giants have until May 26 to activate the $3.5 million (€3 million) release clause in his Benfica contract, and Fabrizio Romano was quick to report on Monday that a "total agreement" had been reached.
There were reportedly "lengthy negotiations" to arrive at an arrangement that works for all parties, though no official confirmation has yet been made public.
Madrid still have one La Liga match remaining—at home to Athletic Club next Saturday evening—and the club may well choose to wait until the season has officially wrapped up before announcing the conclusion of Álvaro Arbeloa's reign.
'Mourinho Can't Fix This Alone'
Should Mourinho head back to Madrid, Jorge Valdano—one of the figures who worked closely alongside him as the club's sporting director during his first stint in the Spanish capital—has cautioned that "Mourinho can't fix this alone."
Valdano had previously voiced his backing for Mauricio Pochettino as Madrid's ideal next manager, dismissing Mourinho as a "closed chapter." However, now that his return appears to be all but certain, the World Cup winner cautioned that the Special One would need to be supported by a strong transfer window.
"Within Florentino Pérez's project, which treats football as a business built on heroes, he's not going to sell the heroes. That's certain," Valdano cautioned during an appearance on Movistar, seemingly ruling out any exits for Kylian Mbappé, Vinicius Junior, or Jude Bellingham.
If the bloated attacking options aren't going to be addressed, the former forward argued that Madrid should look to correct the squad's imbalance in the transfer market. "They need at least four defenders," he predicted, "and they need a midfielder to bring some balance to the squad."
Regardless of what unfolds in the transfer window, Valdano anticipated a smooth beginning to Mourinho's return—he has, after all, direct experience of the Portuguese's working methods. "I think Mourinho will arrive showing his most charming side," he said. "At the start, everything will be very calm. I think the players will respond positively, especially with no World Cup on the horizon. I imagine the preseason will be somewhat more intense, and that should help the squad perform at a higher level.
"We'll see what unfolds as time passes and when the losses start coming. Whether harmony will be sustainable or whether we'll carry on with this rather turbulent atmosphere we've seen throughout this season."