LISBON: Benfica appointed Jose Mourinho as their coach on Thursday, with the Portuguese returning to work in his homeland 21 years after leaving Porto for Chelsea.
The 62-year-old, who also coached Real Madrid and Manchester United among other clubs, was sacked by Turkish side Fenerbahce in August after Benfica beat them in the Champions League play-offs.
Mourinho has signed a contract “to run until the end of the 2026/27 season,” Benfica said in a statement, with an option for either party to end the deal at the end of the current campaign.
The two-time European champions sacked Bruno Lage after a shock defeat in their Champions League opener against Azerbaijani minnows Qarabag on Tuesday.
Mourinho will soon face reunions against former sides Chelsea and Porto, in the Champions League on September 30 and in the Primeira Liga on October 5 respectively.
“I come to Benfica at a different stage in my career, and as a person... we transform for the better,” Mourinho told reporters, sitting alongside Benfica president Rui Costa.
“I’m more altruistic, less self-centered, I think less about myself and more about the good I can do for others, the joy I can bring to others. I’m not the important thing — Benfica is important.”
After starting out his coaching career as an assistant to Bobby Robson and then Louis van Gaal at Barcelona, Mourinho made the step up to head coach at Benfica in September 2000.
He quit after just 11 matches and then, after impressing at Uniao de Leiria, he joined the Eagles’ fierce rivals Porto and guided them to back-to-back league titles and the Champions League crown in 2004.
That set him on the path to a successful career coaching Chelsea, Inter Milan and Real Madrid before his fortunes dived after joining Manchester United in 2016.
More modest stints then followed at Tottenham, Roma and Fenerbahce.
“In some people’s minds, I have two resumes — one that lasted a certain period and another that represents, let’s say, a less happy phase of my career,” said Mourinho.
“My misfortune is that in the last five years, I’ve played in two European finals. The negative part of my career... is two European finals in the last five years.”
- ‘My mission’ -
Mourinho won three Premier League titles across two spells at Chelsea, as well as the Champions League with Inter Milan in 2010, and a La Liga title with Real Madrid among other trophies.
However, since 2017, when he won the Europa League with Manchester United, Mourinho’s only silverware was the Conference League with Roma in 2022.
Mourinho’s first game at the helm of Benfica will be a visit to face AVS on Saturday in the top flight.
“It’s been 25 years in which I’ve had the opportunity to work for the biggest clubs in the world,” said Mourinho, of the time since he first departed Benfica.
“I’d like to say that none of the other giant clubs I’ve had the opportunity to coach have made me feel more honored, responsible, or motivated than being the coach of Benfica,” he added.
“The promise is very clear: I will live for Benfica, for my mission.”
Mourinho said he was more “mature” now than when he previously coached the club, and insisted his team had the quality to win the title.
Sporting Lisbon won the last two titles, with Benfica’s last triumph in 2023.
“Benfica have enough potential within that dressing room to be champions,” said Mourinho.
