Benfica set to bring José Mourinho back | OneFootball

After the dismissal of Bruno Lage last Tuesday, Benfica already has a strong candidate to take over the team for the remainder of the 2025/26 season. The club is arranging the return of the Portuguese coach José Mourinho, who led the team in 2000 at the beginning of his career. The information comes from the newspaper A Bola.

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The newspaper reports that Mourinho and Benfica already have a verbal agreement, with only final adjustments remaining. The contract is expected to be valid until June 2027, at the end of the next European season.

The debut could happen as soon as this Saturday, when Benfica faces Aves SAD at the CD Aves Stadium in Santo Tirso, for the sixth round of the Portuguese Championship, at 2 PM (Brasília time).

Dismissal of Bruno Lage

Bruno Lage was dismissed after the defeat in the Champions League opener. Playing at home against the modest Qarabag from Azerbaijan, Benfica took a 2-0 lead in just 16 minutes but ended up suffering a comeback.

The setback against one of the weakest opponents in the group ended the tenure of the former Botafogo coach. Lage won two titles with Benfica, both in 2025: the Portuguese League Cup and the Portuguese Super Cup.

Mourinho's Return to Portugal

If the negotiation is confirmed, Mourinho will return to work in Portugal after 21 years. Between 2000 and 2004, he managed Benfica, União de Leiria, and Porto.

The stint at Porto was the most remarkable: in two seasons, the “Special One” won six titles – two Portuguese Championships, one Champions League, one UEFA Cup (now Europa League), one Portuguese Cup, and one Portuguese Super Cup.

At Benfica in 2000, Mourinho managed only 11 matches, with six wins, three draws, and two losses. Despite the good performance, he resigned after a change in the club's presidency.

With stints at Chelsea, Inter Milan, Real Madrid, Manchester United, Tottenham, and Roma, the Portuguese's last job was at Fenerbahçe in Turkey, from where he was dismissed after elimination in the pre-Champions.

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