Mourinho Returns “home” to Join Benfica side
The Severance Fortune
José Mourinho amassed an extraordinary fortune throughout his coaching career, celebrating numerous trophies while working in Portugal, England, and Italy. However, his coaching tenure has, in recent years, resembled a shooting star—brilliant but fleeting.
Furthermore, Mourinho generated a substantial income stream from his dismissals. The renowned Portuguese expert collected more than €100,000,000 just from severance payments for contract terminations. This massive sum includes payouts from Chelsea (€30.5M for two dismissals), Real Madrid (€19.7M), Manchester United (€22M), Tottenham (€17.4M), Roma (€3.5M), and most recently, Fenerbahçe (€15M).
A Homecoming Tainted by Distrust
And now, after all that, José Mourinho has officially been appointed the new coach of Benfica.
The fans of the Lisbon Eagles are ecstatic; they fervently believe that the time has come for their club to breathe new life.
Nevertheless, the contract signed between Benfica and Mourinho was found to hide a clause that suggests a degree of mutual distrust.
In fact, it could even be interpreted as a complete lack of trust, as some analysts prefer to put it.
The Financial Safety Clause
As has been discovered by Portuguese media, the contract includes a provision according to which either party is permitted to terminate it up to ten days after the end of the season.
Crucially, if this option is exercised during that specific window, significantly less compensation will be paid to the other party than if the termination occurs at a later date.
Although the exact amount in question has not been officially announced, it is obvious that if Benfica decides to thank José for his cooperation a day or two after the season’s conclusion, Mourinho will not be able to “cash out” as was the case in the previously mentioned situations; instead, he will receive only symbolic compensation.
The same applies conversely; if the Special One decides to depart immediately after the season, he will be required to compensate the Lisbon club with a specific sum.
In essence, while enthusiasm is currently high for Mourinho’s arrival at Benfica and he is making statements expressing his joy to be “back home,” it is clear that both parties have carefully protected their financial interests. This measure was taken to prevent their cash registers from suffering any financial damage should this new professional “love” turn sour.
The Challenge Ahead
To recap, the trophy-winning strategist until recently had been working at Fenerbahçe. However, after a failed attempt to reach the Champions League, he was ultimately fired. Incidentally, it was Benfica that had eliminated the Turkish club earlier in the competition. Regarding Benfica’s recent history, falling behind Porto in the domestic championship at the start of the season contributed to Bruno Lage being fired. Mourinho will certainly have his hands full as he works to turn Benfica into a champion once again.
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