José Mourinho returns to Benfica 25 years on and... history repeats itself | OneFootball

It was this Thursday, September 18, that José Mourinho was introduced as the new coach of Benfica, filling the vacancy left by the dismissal of Bruno Lage. Coincidentally, it was on September 20, 2000, that the Portuguese coach was also presented as the coach of the Eagles, in what was his first stint at the Club and his first experience as a head coach in his career.

With the biggest difference now being José Mourinho's enviable résumé, the circumstances of his hiring by Benfica seem like a true repetition, in what can be called one of those coincidences that football often provides.

José Mourinho now arrives at Benfica still at the beginning of the season, in a context very much marked by the upcoming Benfica presidential elections, which will take place on October 25 of this year. This situation had already happened the first time the Special One took charge of the Eagles.

This is because, on September 20, 2000, José Mourinho arrived to take over from Heynckes, having been presented by President Vale e Azevedo. His arrival at the beginning of that season also coincided with presidential elections at Benfica in the background, with Manuel Vilarinho eventually dethroning Vale e Azevedo on October 27, 2000.

However, José Mourinho did not get off to the best start and only achieved his first victory with the Eagles in his fourth match. In his first seven games, he recorded two wins, three draws, and two losses. Amid controversies and poor performances, Mourinho ended up leaving the Club of Light under the orders of Manuel Vilarinho, just two months after being hired, following a 3-0 win over Sporting.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.