Benfica Plans for Mourinho Successor with Marco Silva

Benfica are drawing up plans for life after José Mourinho, with Fulham’s Marco Silva emerging as their leading candidate if Real Madrid succeed in luring the Portuguese coach back to the Bernabéu.

Madrid have made Mourinho their preferred choice and talks have already taken place over a dramatic return for the former Chelsea and Manchester United manager. Thirteen years after his first spell in the Spanish capital ended, the 63-year-old is expected to agree to a second act with the European giants.

Benfica, who hired Mourinho only last September, are determined not to lose him so quickly. They know the reality, though. When Madrid call, even the biggest clubs in Portugal have to brace themselves. A contingency is no longer a luxury; it is a necessity.

Silva sits at the top of that list.

Benfica’s safety net: Marco Silva

The 48-year-old has rebuilt his reputation at Fulham, dragging the club out of the Championship in 2022 and turning them into a stable Premier League side. Survival is no longer the story at Craven Cottage; the frustration now is their inability to turn mid-table comfort into a genuine push for Europe.

Fulham have moved to protect their position. A new contract is on the table and they want Silva to commit, but he has not yet decided whether to stay or to test himself again on the continental stage.

Benfica can offer what Fulham cannot: the Champions League. They sit second behind Porto in Portugal and remain a heavyweight in European competition, a club where a Portuguese coach can chase titles at home and measure himself against the elite abroad. For Silva, raised in that footballing culture and already proven in England, the pull is obvious.

Chelsea watching the same man

Benfica are not alone. Chelsea also have Silva on their shortlist as they search for a successor to Liam Rosenior, who was dismissed last month. The London club are prepared to wait until the end of the season before making an appointment, confident that the managerial market will move in their favour once the first big domino falls.

At Stamford Bridge, though, one name stands above the rest: Xabi Alonso. The Spaniard, who delivered the 2024 Bundesliga title to Bayer Leverkusen, is regarded inside the club as the ideal candidate to lead their next project.

Xabi Alonso’s English ambition

Alonso’s situation adds another layer to an already crowded carousel. He has been out of work since his dismissal by Madrid this season, but his stock remains high after that title-winning campaign in Germany. Those close to him believe his next job will be in England, and Chelsea have tracked him for at least three years.

Liverpool have also been floated as a potential destination if they decide to part company with Arne Slot, underlining just how coveted Alonso has become at the top end of the Premier League.

So the chain is clear. If Madrid prise Mourinho away from Benfica, the Portuguese club will turn to Silva. If Silva moves, Fulham face a rebuild. Chelsea, meanwhile, hover over the same targets while keeping their powder dry for Alonso.

One decision in Madrid could redraw the dugout map across three leagues.