Former Chelsea, Manchester United, and Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho has been unveiled as the new head coach of Benfica, signing a two-year contract with the Portuguese giants.
The 62-year-old, dismissed by Fenerbahce last month after just over a year in charge, makes a swift return to management, at the very club where his managerial journey began briefly in 2000.
Mourinho will oversee his first training session on Thursday, September 18, stepping into the role left vacant after Bruno Lage’s dismissal.
Jose Mourinho returns to Benfica after 25 years
Former Wolves boss Bruno Lage was sacked on Tuesday following Benfica’s shock Champions League home defeat to Qarabag of Azerbaijan.
Mourinho’s appointment marks a full-circle moment: just three weeks ago, his criticism of Fenerbahce’s transfer dealings ahead of their Champions League play-off against Benfica led to tension and ultimately his exit from Turkey. Now, he takes charge of the very side that contributed to his downfall.
Contract details and press conference
Mourinho’s deal runs until the end of the 2026/27 season, though both parties hold an option not to extend beyond this campaign.
At his unveiling, Mourinho promised a humbler version of himself.
“Today I think a lot more about the others. I’m last in line. I’m here to serve,” he said, as quoted by Sky Sports. “I’m at a completely different moment as far as maturity. I’m not important. I’m more altruistic, less egocentric. I don’t think about me as much. I think more about what I can do for others.”
Still, the Portuguese coach insisted one thing remains unchanged: his burning will to win.
“The only thing that hasn’t changed is my desire to always win the next match,” he added. “I’ll only stop when I feel that something has changed. And today I feel that I am hungrier than I was 25 years ago.”
Mourinho first took charge of Benfica in September 2000, but his initial tenure lasted just three months due to a contract dispute.
Now, a quarter of a century later, he returns with a wealth of experience, a decorated CV spanning England, Spain, and Italy and a vow to give back more than ever before.