Benfica president Rui Costa has had a change of heart on Jose Mourinho, opting to extend his contract amid interest from Real Madrid.
Benfica were previously holding firm on not offering Mourinho new terms on his 1+1 contract.
The 2010 European treble winner signed for two seasons in September but with a release clause he himself described as ‘easily breakable’ while flirting with Real Madrid in the winter.
Yet since then Mourinho has continued to stress that he wants to stay with Benfica, but it’s up to the club to give him a more stable contract.
Costa has been stung by doing so in recent years, for example, giving Roger Schmidt a new deal only to expensively fire him at the start of the following campaign.
As such, Benfica were only willing to negotiate terms in 2026/27.
Benfica want new Mourinho deal
However, Record now report that approach has changed, and not because of pressure from Real Madrid and Florentino Perez.
In fact, Costa has been so impressed by a 2-1 win away at Sporting and likely automatic Champions League promotion that he believes Mourinho has earned what he wants.
They add that Mourinho has shown ‘complete willingness’ to agree new terms and now Costa is also ‘determined’ to do so, but not until the season is finished.
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