Mourinho confirmed to return to lead Benfica

(Dan Tri) - Jose Mourinho is in the final stages of negotiations to become the head coach of Benfica Club (Portugal). If everything goes well, this will be the second time Mourinho has led Benfica.

Jose Mourinho is in Portugal to finalise negotiations with Benfica, opening up the possibility of returning to the Eagles' coaching bench after 25 years. Speaking at Tyres airport, Mourinho did not confirm the deal was complete, but also did not hide his desire to succeed Bruno Lage and return to the Luz stadium.

"Before I got on the plane, they asked me if I was interested in coaching Benfica. And I said yes, I might be interested. Benfica officially asked me if I was interested. I said that I was abroad and when I returned to Portugal I would be happy to talk to everyone," Mourinho said, before pausing to speak more slowly to reporters, with the former Chelsea, Real Madrid and Man Utd boss wearing a Benfica scarf around his shoulders.

Mourinho wears Benfica's scarf on his shoulder (Photo: A Bola).

"When I had the opportunity to coach Benfica, I didn't think much: I was very interested," the Portuguese coach emphasized.

Everything seems set for Mourinho's return to Benfica, exactly 25 years after his debut as head coach of the team. However, the "Special One" also confirmed that this scenario "is not a career celebration."

Regarding his predecessor Bruno Lage, Mourinho expressed understanding and sympathy. "He needs to do what we all do - grieve. I don't think there is a manager who doesn't leave disappointed and thinking that things could have been different. I look at him with great respect and solidarity, because I went through the same thing not long ago," Mourinho said, echoing his previous praise for Lage.

"What I said about him a month and a half ago, I repeat, he is a great coach who had an important group of players that I congratulated. They know I was not a good example of fair play. It is not easy to congratulate them, to tell them that the best won and deserved to win," Mourinho replied when faced with Lage's statements during Seixal's farewell.

Lage previously commented: "Mourinho knows Benfica very well, he has faced this team three times, he often praises the squad and says I am very happy, he will be even happier when Sudakov and Dodi Lukebakio join".

Mourinho returns to Portugal to negotiate with Benfica (Photo: A Bola).

"I respect Bruno and wish him all the best in his career. He knows, especially after our conversation, that my return to Portugal was not in the plans. Which coach would say no to Benfica? Not me?", Mourinho added.

In response to comments from Fenerbahce president Ali Koc, who described Mourinho's possible move to Benfica as a "strange coincidence in life," the coach reacted strongly.

"Every time I leave a club, I close the relationship and do not react to any provocation. I do not make excuses, I do not blame anyone, and I always leave with that attitude. He has a different way of behaving. He has spoken countless times, but has not explained why the player who eliminated us (Akturkoglu) was recruited only after he eliminated us. We will wait and see if that happens," he replied.

"I left my old club three or four weeks ago. I didn't plan to not coach until the end of the season. That's not my nature. I want to coach. I told myself I had to find the emotional balance because I didn't want to agree to a club that wasn't right for me just because I'm a workaholic. In this case, when I was faced with the possibility of coaching Benfica, I didn't think much about it. I was interested, I liked the job," Mourinho concluded, confirming his passion for football and the appeal of the challenge at Benfica.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/mourinho-xac-nhan-tro-lai-dan-dat-benfica-20250918074806674.htm