Mourinho returns to first coaching job at Benfica

José Mourinho has returned to Portuguese shot arsenic manager of Benfica, the club announced connected Thursday.

Mourinho, 62, has signed what is provisionally a two-year woody with the Lisbon-based outfit little than 3 weeks aft being sacked by Fenerbahce.

The nine person confirmed the woody includes a clause that "10 days aft the past lucifer of the 2025-26 season, nether the aforesaid conditions, some Benfica and the manager whitethorn take not to proceed the declaration for the 2026-27 season."

A decision against his erstwhile nine Benfica successful the Champions League qualification playoffs led to Mourinho being fto spell by Fenerbahce.

He replaces Bruno Lage, who was dismissed connected Tuesday pursuing the team's 3-2 location nonaccomplishment to Qarabag successful their Champions League opener.

It was astatine Benfica that Mourinho got his archetypal acquisition arsenic first-team manager successful 2000 and helium present embarks connected his 12th managerial role.

Mourinho recently declared his tendency to instrumentality to coaching successful his autochthonal Portugal portion helium is inactive "at the height" of his career.

Mourinho, who arrived astatine Benfica's grooming crushed driving his achromatic Ferrari, returns to Portuguese shot 21 years aft leaving FC Porto.

"I person truthful galore emotions, but acquisition helps maine power them," helium said during his unveiling.

"I privation to convey you for your trust. Being Portuguese, there's evidently nary 1 who isn't acquainted with the past and civilization of the Benfica federation and this club, but I privation to marque it wide that I person to beryllium capable to artifact retired each these emotions and presumption Benfica successful a precise simplistic way.

"I'm the manager of 1 of the biggest clubs successful the world. I privation to absorption connected this mission, focusing not connected the trouble but connected the pleasance of a coach's job, focusing connected thing exciting.

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"It's been 25 years, but I'm not present to observe my career. It's been 25 years successful which I've had the accidental to enactment for the biggest clubs successful the world. I privation to archer you, arsenic a typical of Benfica fans, that nary of the clubs I've had the accidental to manager person motivated maine much than being Benfica's coach.

"The committedness is clear: I volition unrecorded for Benfica, for my mission. It's a tremendous honour."

Mourinho near Portugal successful the summertime of 2004 to articulation Chelsea soon aft guiding FC Porto to Champions League glory.

He has won 26 large honours crossed spells with Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan, Real Madrid, Manchester United and Roma.

He inherits a squad that is sixth successful the Primeira Liga standings and 5 points adrift of leaders FC Porto, but with a crippled successful hand.

Mourinho's archetypal crippled successful complaint volition beryllium astatine AVS successful the Primeira Liga connected Saturday.

He volition instrumentality to Stamford Bridge connected Sept. 30 erstwhile Benfica play astatine Chelsea successful the Champions League earlier visiting Porto connected Oct. 5 successful the home league....