It might feel like a lifetime ago now, but it was just earlier this season that Jose Mourinho became Benfica manager, merely weeks after he was sacked by Fenerbahce. And quietly, he has put together a fantastic season. While they might not be atop the Portuguese Liga table right now, they have not lost a league game yet.
Yes, Mourinho could be heading towards an invincible campaign with a team that needed to sack their manager in September. Now, the Portuguese icon is being linked with a return to Real Madrid. But why could that be bad news for Chelsea?
Well, Mourinho is not believed to be a target for Chelsea at the moment, even though there have been some rumours. That being said, one of their targets could end up at Benfica if he did leave for Real Madrid at the end of the season.
According to Record (via The Chelsea Chronicle), Benfica want Marco Silva to replace Mourinho, if he joins Real Madrid.
Chelsea want Marco Silva as well
Chelsea have been linked with a long list of managers over the past few weeks. One of them is Silva, who has done a fantastic job at Fulham.
Of course, it is not certain that he will leave Fulham at all. There is a possibility that he could decide to stay at a club where is already settled and sign an extension.
Competition from Benfica does make things tougher for Chelsea though. Obviously, it is also worth pointing out that the majority of the fanbase would not be impressed if the Blues did end up hiring Silva this summer. So, they might not view this as bad news at all.
Could Jose Mourinho make Real Madrid return?
For a little while, it had looked like Mourinho’s managerial career was fizzling away. He had a solid stint at AS Roma. But to be honest, they are not serial winners in Italian football. That was followed by a move to Turkey that nobody would have seen coming. And now he is at Benfica.
All of those are big clubs in their own right. But they are not ones we had gotten so used to seeing Mourinho at. Always competing for the biggest prizes in the game.
If he does end up joining Real Madrid, he would be right back in that mix. And considering the success Carlo Ancelotti enjoyed during his second stint at the club, it would not be a surprise if Florentino Perez decides to reunite with the Portuguese manager as well.
