'Strategic leeway!' - Jose Mourinho and Benfica include surprise clause to protect both parties in the 'Special Ones's' two-year contract

A report from FootMercato suggests that while Mourinho has agreed a contract with Benfica that will run until the end of the 2026-27 season, both sides will have the option to end things earlier than that stated date in two years' time. Described as "strategic leeway", it is claimed that either Mourinho or Benfica can choose to break the deal from the end of this campaign instead, within 10 days of the last game the Lisbon giants are scheduled to play.

The hybrid contract effectively has the security of two years, but with the flexibility of just one. Either side can see how it goes, before deciding if it is worth committing to the second year, and then potentially longer beyond then. It suggests that both coach and club haven't ruled out things going wrong sooner rather than later, or not quite being the right fit for each other.

From winning Premier League, La Liga, Serie A and Champions League titles in the first 15 years of the 21st century, Mourinho's stature has fallen over the last decade. High level success, albeit still winning a few less prestigious trophies along the way, feels as though it has been increasingly tough to come by through spells with Manchester United, Tottenham, Roma and Fenerbahce, with many of those associations ending on a sour note. At Fenerbahce, he was openly critical of the Turkish football landscape from early on and often appeared unhappy. It might also be a consideration that Mourinho resigned at Benfica once before, after only a few months in charge, when he got into a dispute with the then president.

After kicking things off with a 3-0 win over AVS at the weekend, Mourinho will take his team quickly back into battle against Rio Ave on Tuesday night, the club where he started his own short-lived playing career in 1980 but never made a first-team appearance. After facing Gil Vicente on Friday, the big reunions keep coming, with a trip to Chelsea in the Champions League on September 30, and then a huge domestic clash with early Liga Portugal pacesetters Porto on October 5.