Mourinho set for Benfica return as head coach
Portuguese club parts ways with Lage after Qarabag loss
Portuguese giants Benfica are preparing to appoint José Mourinho as head coach after dismissing Bruno Lage following a 3‑2 Champions League loss to Qarabag. The club confirmed an agreement to part ways with Lage, and multiple Portuguese outlets report that the 62‑year‑old manager, who left Fenerbahçe in August, is set to return to the team where his managerial career began in 2000.
Mourinho’s résumé includes league titles with Porto, Chelsea and Inter, a Champions League triumph with Inter in 2010, and trophies with Real Madrid, AS Roma and Manchester United. His first stint at Benfica lasted only nine games before a power struggle forced his exit, making the prospective comeback a symbolic full‑circle moment.
Benfica currently sit sixth in the Primeira Liga, holding 10 points from four matches and trailing city rivals Sporting CP and Porto. The club hopes Mourinho’s reputation for discipline, tactical acumen and a winning mentality will reverse recent domestic underperformance and restore the team to the league summit after finishing second in the past two seasons.
The appointment arrives at a crucial juncture in Europe. Benfica’s Champions League group includes a September 30 clash with Chelsea, a side Mourinho managed in two spells, and a January meeting with Real Madrid, another former club. Reports suggest Mourinho’s contract could run until at least 2027, with performance‑linked bonuses tied to Champions League progress and reclaiming the Portuguese title.
Fans are divided: some view the move as a bold statement of ambition, while others question whether Mourinho’s pragmatic approach will suit Benfica’s traditionally attacking style. Regardless, the return of one of football’s most celebrated and polarising figures to his first professional home guarantees heightened global attention on the Lisbon club in the coming months.
