Real Madrid News
The fee Real Madrid will pay Benfica for Mourinho’s services – report
It only appears to be a matter of time before Real Madrid make the official announcement confirming Jose Mourinho as the next first-team manager.
The Portuguese coach was quiet about his future when asked about it after Benfica’s game against Estoril last night, but word has it that a complete agreement has been reached.
Mourinho and Florentino Perez, as matters stand, are set to meet next week to officially close the deal and an announcement appears imminent.
The fee involved
As relayed by Diario AS in a recent report, the agreement between Real Madrid and Jose Mourinho is complete, as is the agreement between Benfica and their replacement for the ‘Special One’ – Marco Silva.
All that remains is for the new manager and Perez to officially meet, shake hands, and put pen to paper on the deal while paying out Benfica the release clause of €3 million.
Indeed, Los Blancos only need to shell out that minor token fee to secure the services of Mourinho, and it is quite clearly not a concern for them in any sense. After all, they see him as the best candidate to restore order in the dressing room.
A final chapter for Mourinho
Great individuals often attempt to end their careers on a high, and now at the twilight of his coaching tenure, Mourinho is also on the same road.
While returning to Real Madrid is indeed poetic, it may well also prove to be one of the most challenging stints of his managerial career so far.
Over the years, Mourinho has managed several dressing rooms filled with superstars and egos, but there is a sense of superiority inside the current Real Madrid dressing room that strikes as uncomfortable.
Needless to say, it will be interesting to see how he puts his foot down with the player and how far the administration backs him.
Real Madrid News
Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr. admits finishing problem after another frustrating night vs Elche: ‘Can’t miss that much’
Vinicius Jr.’s difficult start in front of goal continued against Elche, and the Real Madrid forward did not need anyone to tell him he had missed another chance to make the difference.
The Brazilian finished the night without a goal despite having chances to get on the scoresheet, while his teammates could only watch from the bench as opportunities went begging.
Jose Mourinho had already identified the problem before kick-off, bluntly pointing to the issue facing his forward, stating, “He’s missing the goal.”
Vini offered an equally frank assessment afterwards.
Rather than hide from another frustrating evening, he accepted responsibility on social media: “The goals will come back; I can’t miss that much…”
Two chances, no finish for Vinicius
Vinicius had two particularly clear openings against Elche, but neither produced the finish Real Madrid needed from their star forward.
The first arrived when he found himself one-on-one with the opposition goalkeeper.
Instead of finding the net, Vinicius caught the ball with the tip of his foot and sent his effort wide. Arda Guler was available during the move and called for the ball, but Vini backed himself to finish the chance.
He had another opportunity after the interval, this time following an excellent pass from Guler during a quick Real Madrid transition. Again, though, Vinicius could not find the target.
His evening ended in the 68th minute, with Mourinho deciding the Brazilian was tired and turning his attention towards Sunday’s Atletico Madrid derby.
Mourinho has a bigger decision to make
The numbers show why Vinicius’ finishing has become a talking point. He managed five shots against Elche, but only one was on target and none found the net.
After seven appearances this season, the Brazilian has scored just once, which is a striking return for a player Real Madrid rely upon to provide a major share of their attacking threat.
Ultimately, though, Real Madrid found another route to victory, with Arda Guler, Kylian Mbappe and Carlos Espi providing the goals in the 3-2 comeback.
