Marco Silva agrees to replace Jose Mourinho as Benfica coach

Benfica have reached an agreement with Marco Silva to replace Jose Mourinho as head coach, according to a report from ESPN.

Silva, who left Fulham this week after five years in charge of the London club, has agreed to a two-year contract with an option for an additional year, sources said.

The Lisbon side plans to make an official announcement next week, following the Real Madrid presidential elections on Sunday. Mourinho is expected to return to the LaLiga giants if Florentino Perez secures reelection.

Silva proved a worthy manager in the Premier League. He oversaw Fulham’s promotion to the Premier League in his first season in charge of the club.

Marco Silva is expected to replace Mourinho at Benfica. (Photo by Peter Nicholls/Getty Images)

The Portuguese proceeded to establish Fulham’s place in the top flight in subsequent years with the club finishing mid-table in each of the last four years. They posted 54 points in 2024-25, their highest tally in the Premier League.

Silva previously coached Portuguese clubs Estoril and Sporting CP. He has also taken charge of Olympiacos, Hull City, Watford and Everton.

Benfica have earlier announced that Real Madrid will have to pay €15 million ($17.4m) to sign Jose Mourinho as coach if Perez is re-elected as Madrid president.

It comes a day after Perez’s election campaign confirmed that Mourinho — previously in charge of Madrid between 2010 and 2013 — is Perez’s chosen coach ahead of next season, as the club look to bounce back from two consecutive seasons without a major trophy.