Fulham fans woke up on Monday still waiting for Marco Silva’s answer. However, the week in Portugal has started with the entire situation becoming even messier.
What initially looked like a fairly straightforward Benfica push for Silva is now getting dragged deeper into the uncertainty. This uncertainty surrounds José Mourinho, Benfica and Real Madrid.
Monday’s Portuguese newspapers all moved in the same direction: Marco Silva remains Benfica’s top target. But Fulham may now have extra time to convince him to stay because Mourinho’s own situation keeps dragging on.
And Benfica may actually end up making more money because of it.
Mourinho delay slowing everything down
According to Record, Benfica are basically stuck waiting for clarity over Mourinho’s expected move to Real Madrid.
The expectation in Portugal had been for movement at the start of the week. Record now say Mourinho’s announcement in Madrid was originally expected on Monday. However, things slowed down after Enrique Riquelme entered the Real Madrid presidential race against Florentino Pérez.
Because of that, Mourinho may only officially become Real Madrid manager on June 7th, the date currently linked to the election process. That changes the timing of everything around Benfica.
Technically, Benfica still have a manager for next season. Mourinho remains under contract and, according to Correio da Manhã, Rui Costa even offered him a renewal. This came despite all the noise around Madrid.
At the same time, Benfica already see Silva as the chosen replacement.
Record say the Fulham manager has already been informed he is the preferred option at the Estádio da Luz and reacted positively to that information. Even so, Rui Costa does not want to move formally for Silva until Mourinho’s situation is fully resolved.
So Benfica’s planning for next season is effectively frozen for now.
Benfica do not want to make Mourinho’s exit easy
The biggest new angle from Portugal is financial. Both Record and Correio da Manhã make it very clear Benfica are not planning to make Mourinho’s departure simple or cheap.
According to Record, Mourinho had a 10-day window after the end of the season where he could leave for around €7m (£5.9m). Once that deadline expires, the amount needed to take him away could jump to €15m (£12.7m).
Correio da Manhã place the figure slightly lower, at around €14m (£11.8m), describing it as the equivalent of Mourinho’s gross salary for the final year of his contract.
Either way, the message coming from Portugal is that Rui Costa does not want to forgive “a single cent”.
Correio da Manhã say Benfica’s president will not accept a free exit. He will not sack Mourinho himself while paying compensation. In addition, he only wants the situation resolved if somebody pays the full amount.
That may frustrate supporters who want clarity quickly, but it also explains why Benfica are not rushing to close the Marco Silva deal immediately.
In fact, the delay could actually help Benfica financially if the lower €7m (£5.9m) clause expires.
Record also say Benfica technically have another option. Rui Costa could trigger Mourinho’s exit himself and immediately start planning with a new manager. Still, the newspaper say that scenario is not expected.
Fulham now watching Marco Silva carefully
That leaves Silva holding a lot of the leverage. The Portuguese coach only finished the Premier League season on Sunday. Now he is expected to decide his future during the week, as promised by the manager himself.
Correio da Manhã add he should spend the rest of the week deciding whether to accept Fulham’s renewal offer. Otherwise, he might continue waiting for Benfica’s project.
The key question is whether Silva is prepared to keep waiting for Benfica. This is especially relevant without guarantees over how the Mourinho situation ends.
Record frame the situation exactly like that. The newspaper openly ask whether Silva is willing to wait “without certainty over the outcome of the entire process” or whether he instead chooses to renew with Fulham.
This twist is interesting because only a few days ago, Portuguese coverage was heavily tilted towards Benfica optimism. Meanwhile, Monday’s reports feel more cautious. Fulham now appear to have a genuine chance because of the uncertainty surrounding Mourinho.
There may even be contacts on Monday to clarify Mourinho’s future, according to Record, but there is still no guarantee anything moves quickly.
Rui Costa prepared to ignore criticism
Correio da Manhã also paint Rui Costa as fully aware that his strategy may become unpopular both internally and externally.
Still, the newspaper say the Benfica president is determined not to bend to media pressure or political noise this time. This is unlike what happened around Roger Schmidt’s controversial renewal in 2023.
It reinforces the feeling that Benfica are willing to tolerate short-term uncertainty if they believe it protects the club strategically and financially.
Meanwhile, Marco Silva keeps weighing up two very different futures. Fulham are offering long-term security, Premier League stability and a major renewal package.
Benfica are offering pressure, emotional pull, a return home and the chance to rebuild one of Portugal’s biggest clubs after a disappointing season.
The longer Mourinho’s situation drags on between Lisbon and Madrid, the more complicated Silva’s own decision becomes.