LISBON, Portugal (AP) — José Mourinho confirmed on Wednesday that Benfica has contacted him about its coaching vacancy and that he'd be open to returning to the Lisbon club.
Benfica fired coach Bruno Lage after the team’s 3-2 home loss to Qarabag in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Mourinho, whose time with Fenerbahce ended last month after the Turkish club was eliminated by Benfica in a qualifying playoff of the Champions League, spoke to reporters after returning to Portugal.
“Benfica officially asked
me if I was interested, and I said that I was abroad and would like to talk to (Benfica's) people when I returned,” Mourinho said. “When I was confronted with the possibility of coaching Benfica, I didn't think twice, in the sense that I was interested.”
Mourinho started his coaching career at Benfica but lasted only three months in 2000 before leaving in a contract dispute with the board of directors.
Mourinho won the Champions League with Porto, Benfica’s main rival, in 2004. He also won the top European club competition with Inter Milan in 2010.
Mourinho has not coached in the main stage of the marquee competition for six seasons, though. 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 in Turkey.
Benfica president Rui Costa announced the decision to part ways with Lage after the league-phase loss in which Benfica squandered a two-goal lead in front of its fans.
Costa cited the club's poor results recently. Benfica was coming off a disappointing 1-1 home draw against 10-man Santa Clara in the Portuguese league on Friday.
“We feel it's time for a change,” Costa said. "It was a tough week for all Benfica fans after the games against Santa Clara and Qarabag. We are not out of any competition yet, but we feel it's time to change."
Costa said he expected to announce a new coach in time for the team's league match in Vila das Aves on Saturday.
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