The Special One might be coming home.
According to multiple reports, Benfica are preparing to bring José Mourinho back to the club after parting ways with boss Bruno Lage on Wednesday.
Lage’s departure came just hours after Benfica’s stunning 3-2 home defeat to Qarabag in the Champions League, a result that sent shockwaves through Lisbon.
All three of Portugal’s sports dailies mentioned 62-year-old Mourinho as a possible successor.
A Bola said that Benfica wanted to negotiate with the self-styled “Special One”.
Mourinho Leaves Fenerbahce, Eyes Homecoming
Mourinho, who left Turkish side Fenerbahce in August just two days after losing a Champions League playoff to Benfica, is widely expected to take charge.
The club has not yet confirmed his appointment,
but reports suggest an announcement is imminent.
If finalized, the move would be symbolic—a homecoming more than two decades in the making.
Mourinho actually began his coaching career at Benfica but quit after just two and a half months before making his name at the Lisbon giant’s arch rival, Porto, where he achieved Champions League glory in 2004.
That set him on the path to a hugely successful career coaching Chelsea, Inter Milan and Real Madrid before his fortunes started to nose-dive after joining Manchester United in 2016.
Benfica’s Big Challenge
If appointed, Mourinho’s task will be clear: restore Benfica to domestic and European prominence.
The club has finished runners-up to city rivals Sporting in each of the past two Primeira Liga seasons and currently sit sixth with 10 points from four games.
Benfica’s Champions League campaign has already handed them a daunting group stage, with clashes against two of Mourinho’s former clubs—Chelsea on September 30 and Real Madrid in January.
But where there’s Mourinho, there’s hope.
(with agency inputs)
