Silva had been in charge at Fulham for five years

Benfica poised to lose José Mourinho for Madrid job

Fulham have announced that Marco Silva is leaving after five years as their head coach. The Portuguese is wanted by Benfica, who are poised to lose José Mourinho to Real Madrid.

Fulham said: “We can confirm that Marco Silva will leave his role as head coach at Fulham this summer. It’s a position that Silva has held for five years – a spell which was laden with success.”

Fulham finished 11th in Silva’s final two seasons, following a pattern of comfortable mid-table placings after he led the club to promotion in his first campaign. He also took the team to a Carabao Cup semi-final.

In the Guardian app, tap the Profile settings button at the top right, then select Notifications. Turn on sport notifications.

If you already have the Guardian app, make sure you’re on the most recent version.

If you don't have the Guardian app, download it from the iOS App Store on iPhone or the Google Play store on Android by searching for 'The Guardian'.

Fulham wanted to keep Silva and offered him a new contract. Joining Benfica would give him the chance to coach in Europe, the club having finished third in Portugal to enter the Europa League qualifiers.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/jun/02/fulham-marco-silva-leaving-head-coach-benfica