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Marco Silva is set to join Portuguese giants Benfica after confirming his exit from Fulham. The former Everton boss is expected to sign a three-year deal with the Eagles to replace Jose Mourinho, who is returning to Real Madrid.
Silva has brought stability in his tenure
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The 48-year-old has brought stability to the club from south west London. In his first season, he guided the Cottagers to the Championship title before finishing 10th, 13th and 11th in two straight seasons.
Silva has established Fulham in the Premier League, as prior to his arrival, the Cottagers were something of a yo-yo team between the Championship and the Premier League.
Reports suggest that Silva believes he has taken Fulham as far as he can without any further significant investment in the squad.
Big move back home
The Benfica job is a massive step for Silva, who will be managing in his homeland for the first time since his spell at Benfica’s rivals Sporting CP in 2015 before he left to join Greek outfit Olympiakos.
The Benfica job is a chance for Silva to test his managerial acumen in an elite environment. The Eagles are the most successful club in Portugal in terms of domestic titles, having won the Primeira Liga title 38 times.
🚨🦅 BREAKING: Marco Silva agrees to become new Benfica manager, here we go!
Silva leaves Fulham and signs contract until June 2028 plus option until 2029 at Benfica reducing salary to fight for titles.
Back to Portugal after 10 years, wanted by both Rui Costa and Mario Branco. pic.twitter.com/XyxdZ6py2q
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 2, 2026
However, by their high standards, they are going through something of a crisis, as they have failed to win the Portuguese title since the 2022/23 season.
Despite being unbeaten in the 2025/26 campaign, Benfica finished in third place in the table, eight points adrift of the eventual champions FC Porto. This was due to the team drawing 11 of their 34 league matches.
Fulham eying up a move for McKenna
The Cottagers’ owner, Shahid Khan, has stated that the club will appoint a new head coach in a timely manner.
Reportedly, Ipswich Town head coach Kieran McKenna is Fulham’s preferred choice to replace Silva. McKenna guided the Norfolk team to promotion last season.
If Fulham do make a move for McKenna, then they will reportedly have to pay compensation of around £8m to buy out the former Tottenham coach’s contract.
Other candidates, such as Thomas Frank and Arne Slot, have also been linked with the job, although McKenna remains favourite with the bookmakers to be the next Cottagers boss.