09/18/25 09:44:00
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09/18 09:18 CDT Jos Mourinho is back in Portugal to coach after reaching a
deal with Benfica
Jos Mourinho is back in Portugal to coach after reaching a deal with Benfica
LISBON, Portugal (AP) --- Jos Mourinho will coach in Portugal again, two
decades later.
Benfica said on Thursday it reached a deal with Mourinho, sealing his return to
the country 21 years after he led rival Porto to the Champions League title in
2004.
Mourinho started his coaching career at Benfica in 2000 but lasted only three
months before leaving in a contract dispute.
He will be back in the Champions League after a five-year absence, since a
round-of-16 exit while coaching Tottenham in 2020. Mourinho also won the
Champions League with Inter Milan in 2010.
He won the third-tier Conference League with Roma in 2022, but his time at the
Italian club from 2021-24 was marked by squabbles that resurfaced in his brief
and chaotic spell with Fenerbahce in Turkey.
His stint with Fenerbahce came to an end last month after the Turkish club was
eliminated by Benfica in a qualifying playoff of the Champions League.
Mourinho confirmed on Wednesday that Benfica contacted him about its coaching
vacancy.
"When I was confronted with the possibility of coaching Benfica, I didn't think
twice, in the sense that I was interested," he said.
Benfica fired coach Bruno Lage on Wednesday, a day after the team's 3-2 home
loss to Qarabag in the Champions League. Benfica squandered a two-goal lead in
front of its fans.
Club president Rui Costa fired Lage citing poor results recently. Benfica drew
with 10-man Santa Clara 1-1 in the Portuguese league last Friday.
Benfica's next match is on Saturday in the Portuguese league at AVS. Its next
Champions League game is at Chelsea on Sept. 30.
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