A manager announced through a deepfake, denied by the manager himself
In the days before Real Madrid's presidential election, Florentino Pérez's campaign unveiled José Mourinho as the club's next manager through a video that Mourinho himself insists he never recorded — claiming artificial intelligence reconstructed his likeness without his participation. The episode places a centuries-old human ritual, the handshake of agreement, inside a new and unsettling question: can a synthetic voice give real consent? What unfolds in Madrid on Sunday will determine whether this announcement becomes history or simply evaporates, but the deeper unease it has stirred will not dissolve with the ballot count.
- A video of Mourinho in Real Madrid white saying 'yes' circulated as official confirmation of his appointment — except Mourinho says he was never in the room when it was made.
- The denial landed with immediate force, casting doubt not just on the announcement but on the ethical boundaries of what a political campaign is permitted to fabricate.
- Benfica, still holding Mourinho's contract, has already moved to replace him with Marco Silva — suggesting the club has quietly accepted the departure even as the method of it grows stranger by the hour.
- Pérez's campaign has not retracted the video, leaving it live on official channels while the election clock ticks toward Sunday and the legitimacy of the whole arrangement hangs on a vote.
- Beyond football, the episode forces an uncomfortable question into the open: in an age of convincing deepfakes, what does an announcement actually mean, and who has the right to put words — or a 'yes' — in someone else's mouth?
On Wednesday, Florentino Pérez's campaign to reclaim the Real Madrid presidency introduced José Mourinho as the club's next manager through a video. In the footage, a figure in the club's white shirt looks into the camera and says yes. Simple, clean, and — according to Mourinho himself — entirely fabricated.
The Portuguese coach, still under contract at Benfica, moved quickly to distance himself from the recording, telling the Lisbon club that the video was not his work but a synthetic creation assembled through artificial intelligence. The claim transformed what should have been a routine managerial announcement into something far more disquieting.
The timing sharpens everything. Real Madrid's presidential election falls this Sunday, just four days after the video's release. Pérez's move was clearly designed to signal strength — to show voters he had already secured one of football's most recognizable figures. But the announcement carries no legal weight until Pérez actually wins. If he loses, the synthetic Mourinho dissolves into nothing.
At Benfica, the transition has already begun in practical terms: Marco Silva has been identified as Mourinho's successor, suggesting the club has accepted his departure. But the manner of that departure — announced through a deepfake released by a rival club's political campaign — adds an unsettling layer to what would otherwise be an ordinary coaching change.
Pérez's campaign has not responded to Mourinho's denial. The video remains on the official candidacy page. And the question hanging over all of it is one that football has never had to ask before: can a manager be announced through a synthetic likeness, and does such an announcement mean anything at all?
On Wednesday, Florentino Pérez's campaign to become Real Madrid president made an announcement that would have seemed impossible just years ago: they introduced José Mourinho as the club's next manager through a video. In the footage, a figure wearing the white shirt of Real Madrid looks directly at the camera and says yes. Simple. Clean. Definitive.
Except Mourinho says he never made that video.
The Portuguese coach, still bound by contract to Benfica, moved quickly to deny any involvement in the recording. He told the Lisbon club that the video was not his work—that it was created entirely through artificial intelligence, a synthetic reconstruction of his image and voice assembled by algorithms rather than captured by a camera. The claim landed like a small bomb in the middle of what should have been a straightforward managerial announcement, raising immediate questions about what Pérez's campaign had actually done and whether such a move was even permissible.
The timing matters. Real Madrid's presidential election is scheduled for Sunday, just four days after the video's release. Pérez's formal introduction of Mourinho through this method was a calculated move to shape the narrative around his candidacy—to show that he had already secured one of world football's most recognizable figures as his manager-in-waiting. But the announcement carries no weight until Pérez actually wins the election. If voters choose another candidate, the whole thing dissolves. The announcement becomes a ghost of a promise that never had legal standing.
What makes the situation more complex is what happens at Benfica. The club has already identified Marco Silva as Mourinho's replacement, suggesting they have accepted that their current manager will depart. But the manner of that departure—through an AI-generated video released by a rival club's political campaign—adds a layer of strangeness to what is otherwise a routine transition in football management.
The use of artificial intelligence to create a synthetic video of a public figure saying something he claims he never said touches on questions that extend far beyond football. It raises practical concerns about consent, about the authenticity of announcements, about what can be trusted when technology can now convincingly replicate a person's appearance and voice. In a sport where contracts are sacred and every word from a manager carries weight, the introduction of a synthetic Mourinho creates genuine ambiguity about what was actually agreed to and what was merely performed.
Pérez's campaign has not publicly responded to Mourinho's denial. The video remains on the official candidacy page. The election approaches. And somewhere in the middle of all this sits the question of whether a manager can be announced to a club through a deepfake, and whether that announcement means anything at all.
Citas Notables
Mourinho told Benfica that the video was not his work and was created entirely through artificial intelligence— Source close to the process
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why would a campaign use an AI video to announce a manager instead of just having him appear in person or release a statement?
It's theater, really. Pérez wanted the announcement to be dramatic, to show he'd already locked down Mourinho before the election even happened. A synthetic video is more memorable than a press release.
But doesn't that backfire if the manager denies he made it?
Completely. It undermines the whole point. If Mourinho says he didn't record it, then what Pérez is showing voters is not a commitment—it's a fabrication. It raises questions about whether he's being truthful about anything.
Is there any scenario where this was done with Mourinho's permission but he's denying it anyway?
Theoretically, yes. But why would he? If he'd agreed to it, he'd just say so. Denying it publicly to Benfica suggests he genuinely didn't authorize it.
What happens if Pérez loses the election?
Then the announcement means nothing. It was just a campaign stunt that didn't work. Mourinho stays at Benfica, at least for now, and the whole thing becomes a footnote.
And if Pérez wins?
Then things get legally complicated. Mourinho would have to either honor what the video implied or fight it. Either way, it's messy.