Mourinho, the Man | OneFootball

The return of José Mourinho to Portugal has made headlines all over the world. But how has the return of the prodigal son been received in his homeland?

Leading Portuguese TV and radio journalist Luís Cristóvão writes about the questions raised by Mourinho’s appointment at Benfica and the impact it might have on the Primeira Liga itself.

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The most decorated Portuguese coach of all time has returned to Portugal to be what he always was: José Mourinho, the Man.

In Vila das Aves, facing a simulacrum club, Mourinho may have felt as though no time had passed since his farewell from Portuguese football. His teams had never played there, but the old stands, the curve behind one of the goals leaving some fans far from the action, and the strong sun in his eyes making it difficult to follow the game, all of it felt like a kind of time travel for the most decorated Portuguese coach of all time. Yet, he lives in a different reality today. The discourse Mourinho rehearses now carries shadows. Every context he enters is transformed, acquiring a meaning we might not have anticipated before.

Benfica is a giant, with a presence in the Champions League, a competition Mourinho hadn’t featured in since March 2020. He feels once again in a place suited to his status. At the same time, he resists treating it as somewhere he will linger, at least not in the way he describes his consciously imagined future. Still, it is undeniable that Mourinho’s return to Portugal represents an opportunity for the league itself. The eyes of the world are now fixed on Estádio da Luz, following every step of a soap opera that Mourinho will decide how to script.

Image from from josemourinho instagram

The owner of the decision

The decision rarely lies in the hands of the coach. He is usually just a cog in a larger machine, subject to the moods of presidents and the demands of fans. Mourinho’s career, however, has always been defined differently, with his teams revolving around his presence at every level. In his return to Benfica, history is already being written in his own style: in the way he landed in Tires Airport to shape ongoing contract negotiations; in the sense of dedication he displayed by announcing himself as a resident of the club’s training complex; in the “ethics clause” he announced while simultaneously asserting his position with the phrase, “The day after the elections, I will be Benfica’s coach.”

Mourinho won’t have a squad built to his specifications, but he acknowledges the balance he has inherited. He finds himself with players of a much higher level than in his most recent jobs, especially compared to the competition he will face. He begins with the luxury of time and space to let his team grow. In Europe, the result against Qarabag removes immediate pressure for mistakes. At the same time, his discourse is that of a teacher: someone who arrives to help players confront their own weaknesses. In this, he channels a retelling of Manuel Sérgio’s philosophy, showing Mourinho as an experienced, mature figure, more teacher than actor, more thinker than provocateur. He is comfortable in this space, so long as his decision-making continues to expand.

A spectre in the Portuguese league

I have doubts that the Portuguese League is ready to seize the opportunity of Mourinho’s return. The confusion that so often grips this competition when ambitions start to fade turns it into a minefield, stifling the chance for collective growth. Mourinho in Portugal signals a new moment for the world to look at this league. Yet the first scene, in Vila das Aves, hardly conveyed the modern image the league wishes to project. Mourinho’s first steps back on Portuguese soil, on that pitch, looked more like a raw wildlife documentary than the polished football showcase this country wants to present.

At the same time, by positioning himself as a reference point, Mourinho has already made it clear — after signing for Benfica and speaking with the presidents of Sporting and FC Porto — that he understands his role in this stint in Portugal. A stint, as he himself emphasised in the press conference after his debut. What he seeks in this unexpected return is to demonstrate his stature compared with everyone else here. That goal is already being achieved. The coach who is more important than presidents. The coach who sets his own timelines. The coach who speaks to whomever he wants, however he wants, without bowing to anyone. This Mourinho is irritating to a Portuguese culture that clings to its past, to its backyard rivalries, to its small and petty ways. But he is also the Mourinho who captivates most — the one who shows what this space could be, regardless of the results his stint might bring.

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