)
José Mourinho's second stint at Real Madrid is reportedly nearing completion. The 63-year-old manager met with high-ranking Merengues officials in the Spanish capital on Tuesday afternoon, accompanied by agents Jorge Mendes and Valdir. Valdir, also part of Gestifute, is closely involved with matters concerning Benfica.
The meeting, as reported by Spanish newspaper Marca, took place at the Santo Mauro hotel in Madrid. The Portuguese coach and agent Jorge Mendes convened with José Ángel Sánchez, the club's general director, and Juni Calafat, head of international football and responsible for Real Madrid's scouting department.
Álvaro Arbeloa is no longer contractually linked to Real Madrid, a detail confirmed by the club, marking the first step in this process, with Benfica now on high alert. The payment of Mourinho's €15 million release clause has not yet been confirmed, and Benfica's SAD (Sociedade Anónima Desportiva) has not communicated anything to the CMVM (Portuguese Securities Market Commission), leaving the announcement of Marco Silva as his successor equally in limbo.
A 48-hour post-election window at Real Madrid may be the reason Mourinho's announcement has been delayed. According to information obtained by A BOLA, president-elect Florentino Pérez is respecting the period stipulated in the club's statutes, which allows for formal complaints or protests regarding the elections.
Once this window closes, which will happen late tonight/early morning given that the elections ran all day Sunday and vote counting finished very late, Florentino Pérez will be free to formalize his major electoral promise. An announcement in Madrid is expected by Wednesday at the latest, though the specifics and timing of the coach's presentation are still unknown.
Finally, Jorge Mendes' presence at the meeting suggests that potential reinforcements for Mourinho's Real Madrid are already under discussion.
,fit(112:112)&format=webp)
&format=webp)
,fit(112:112)&format=webp)
&format=webp)
&format=webp)