Mourinho in advanced talks with European giant, eyes Argentinians | OneFootball

The Portuguese coach, without a club since his stint at Fenerbahçe, is very close to taking the place left vacant by Bruno Lage at the Eagles after the defeat in the Champions League.

The 3-2 defeat against the modest Qarabag in the Champions League debut caused a real shake-up at Benfica of the Argentinians and the dismissal of their coach Bruno Lage. His replacement is already chosen and it would be none other than José Mourinho.

The historic Portuguese coach, who left Fenerbahçe last August after losing in the preliminary phase of the top European tournament precisely against the Eagles, could return to the club where he first gave his instructions in the dugout of the Estádio da Luz back in the 2000s. He is eagerly awaited by Nicolás Otamendi, Gianluca Prestianni, and Enzo Barrenechea, who recently scored a goal.

Although he only managed nine matches in Lisbon, replacing Jupp Heynckes, Mourinho had a glorious career at the great clubs of Europe, especially at Porto, Chelsea, and Inter Milan, as well as Manchester United and Real Madrid.

If his arrival at Benfica is confirmed, the 62-year-old coach will reunite with two of his old teams in the group stage of the Champions League. First, he will face the Blues on September 30 and then Casablanca in January 2026.

Rui Costa, the red president, made it clear that they will not delay announcing the new coach, as they want him to be present next Saturday against AVS Futebol SAD for the Primeira Liga, where they currently rank sixth with 10 points. In the last two seasons, Benfica had to watch from the front row as Sporting Lisbon, their historic city rival, claimed the titles.

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