Silva, 48, has agreed a two year deal with the option of a further year with the Portuguese club Alex Davidson / Getty ImagesJune 4, 2026 4:50 pm EDT Updated Marco Silva has agreed a deal to succeed Jose Mourinho as Benfica head coach following his departure from Fulham.Silva, 48, has agreed a two year deal with the option of a further year with the Portuguese club, replacing Mourinho who has signed a contract to return to Real Madrid – provided Florentino Perez wins re-election as president.The Athletic reported on June 2 that Silva was in advanced talks with the Portuguese side after Fulham announced his impending departure from the club after five years on Tuesday, on the end of his deal.Silva won the Championship title in his first year at Craven Cottage, and has recently achieved back-to-back 11th-placed finishes in the Premier League.
Mourinho joined Benfica in September, weeks after leaving Fenerbahce, and led the club to the Champions League play-off phase, in which they were eliminated by Real Madrid. They finished third in the Portuguese top flight last season, eight points behind winners Porto, but did not lose a single league game.Madrid will pay up to €15million (£12.96m; $17.45m) to secure Mourinho’s appointment as head coach following the expiration of a break clause in the 63-year-old’s contract at Benfica. Benfica confirmed the figure in a statement released to the Portuguese stock exchange on Thursday — a process they are mandated to do as a listed company.Silva started his managerial career in his home country, spending three years at Estoril and one at Sporting CP, where he won the Taca de Portugal in the 2014-15 season. He spent one campaign at Olympiacos, winning the Greek Super League, before spells in England with Hull City, Watford, Everton and Fulham.
