Mourinho confirms his return to manage Benfica.

(Dan Tri Newspaper) - Jose Mourinho is in the final stages of negotiations to become the head coach of Benfica (Portugal). If everything goes smoothly, this will be Mourinho's second stint managing Benfica.

Jose Mourinho is currently in Portugal to finalize negotiations with Benfica, opening up the possibility of a return to the "Eagles'" coaching bench after 25 years. Speaking at Tires 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 boarding the plane, they asked me if I was interested in coaching Benfica. And I replied 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 shared, before pausing to speak more slowly to reporters, at which point the former Chelsea, Real Madrid, and Man Utd manager had draped a Benfica scarf over his shoulders.

Mourinho is wearing a Benfica scarf over his shoulders (Photo: A Bola).

"When I was presented with the opportunity to manage Benfica, I didn't think twice: I was very excited," the Portuguese coach emphasized.

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

Regarding his predecessor Bruno Lage, Mourinho expressed understanding and empathy. "He needed to do what we all do – grieve. I don't think any manager leaves without feeling disappointed and thinking things could have turned out differently. I look at him with immense respect and solidarity, because I went through something similar not long ago," Mourinho said, reiterating his earlier praise for Lage.

"What I said about him a month and a half ago, I repeat, he is a great coach who has a great group of players that I congratulated. They know I'm not a shining example of beautiful play. Congratulating them, telling them that the best have won and deserve to win, is not easy," Mourinho replied when confronted with Lage's statements during Seixal's farewell.

Lage had previously stated: "Mourinho knows Benfica very well; he has faced them three times. He often praises the squad and says, 'I'm very happy,' and he'll be even happier when Sudakov and Dodi Lukebakio join."

Mourinho returned 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 part of the plan. What coach would refuse Benfica? Not me, right?", Mourinho added.

Following statements from Fenerbahce president Ali Koc, who described the possibility of Mourinho moving to Benfica as a "strange coincidence in life," the coach reacted sharply.

"Every time I leave a club, I close the relationship and don't react to any provocation. I don't make excuses, I don't blame anyone, and I always leave with that attitude. He has a different way of behaving. He has spoken out countless times, but he hasn't explained why the player who dropped us (Akturkoglu) was signed only after he had dropped us. Let's wait and see if that happens," he replied.

"I left my old club three or four weeks ago. I don't intend to wait until the end of the season to stop coaching. That's not in my nature. I want to be a coach. I told myself I had to find an emotional balance because I didn't want to agree to a club that wasn't a good fit 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, affirming his passion for football and the allure of the challenge at Benfica.

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