At a sensational mid-May press conference, President Florentino Pérez first rebuked the media, denounced a "smear campaign" against the club, and then called for fresh presidential elections. For the first time, he faces a rival candidate, Enrique Riquelme.
According to Bild, the deal to bring back José Mourinho—scheduled to be finalised on Whit Monday—has been put on ice until the election result is known. Nevertheless, Benfica still expects "The Special One" to return to the Bernabéu for a second spell this summer, after his 2010–2013 tenure.
Marco Silva, who has managed Fulham since 2021, is then set to take over at Benfica. With the Cottagers he finished eleventh in the Premier League last term, and his contract with the London club expires this summer.
After a brief and underwhelming stint at Fenerbahce, Mourinho moved to Benfica in September 2023. Despite an unbeaten league season, he failed to win silverware, as Porto claimed the title and eliminated Benfica in the cup quarter-finals. Their Champions League run also stalled at the play-off stage, against Real Madrid.