LISBON, Portugal — José Mourinho, the enigmatic Portuguese tactician whose glittering career spans two Chelsea dynasties, a Tottenham stint, and European triumphs with Porto and Inter Milan, has reportedly inked a verbal agreement to take the helm at Benfica, the club where his managerial odyssey began 25 years ago. The seismic news, broken by Portuguese outlet A Bola and swiftly corroborated by CNN Portugal on Wednesday evening, follows Benfica’s abrupt dismissal of Bruno Lage after a shocking 3-2 Champions League home defeat to Qarabag. With a formal contract expected by Friday, Mourinho could be prowling the touchline as early as Saturday’s Liga Portugal clash against Vila das Aves, setting up a tantalizing Champions League reunion with his beloved Chelsea on September 30 at Stamford Bridge. For the 62-year-old “Special One,” recently sacked by Fenerbahce after a bitter Champions League playoff loss—ironically to Benfica—this homecoming is a poetic full-circle moment that has electrified fans and pundits alike.
The deal’s genesis lies in Benfica’s mid-season crisis. Sitting seventh in the Primeira Liga after five games, with only two wins and a paltry eight points, Lage’s second spell—following his 2019 title-winning reign—unraveled spectacularly. The Qarabag upset, where Vangelis Pavlidis’ late brace flipped a 2-1 lead, was the final straw for president Rui Costa, a former teammate of Mourinho’s at AC Milan. Costa’s Tuesday midnight press conference, aired live on SIC Notícias, confirmed Lage’s exit and teased a “proven winner” to steer the Eagles back to glory. “We’ve parted ways with Bruno by mutual consent,” Costa stated. “We expect our new coach on the bench by Saturday.” A Bola reported hours later that Mourinho, fresh from his August 29 Fenerbahce sacking, had agreed to a two-year deal until June 2027, with a €4.5m annual salary and performance bonuses tied to Champions League progression. “Benfica called, and I didn’t think twice,” Mourinho told reporters outside his Lisbon home, per The Mirror, his trademark smirk hinting at unfinished business.
Mourinho’s availability stems from a turbulent 14-month stint at Fenerbahce, where he was tasked with ending an 11-year Turkish Super Lig drought. Despite a second-place finish last season and a Europa League berth, a 1-0 aggregate loss to Benfica in the Champions League qualifiers—marked by a late Kerem Aktürkoğlu header in Istanbul—proved his undoing. Fenerbahce’s statement cited “mutual termination,” but The Sun revealed a €9m payout for Mourinho and €2m for his staff, with tensions over squad investment and a touchline referee spat sealing his fate. The irony? Benfica’s victory over Fener paved the way for this reunion, with Mourinho admitting to CMTV: “That loss hurt, but it reminded me how much Benfica means. It’s where I learned to win.”
The stakes are colossal. Benfica, chasing their first league title since 2023, face a treacherous Champions League group including Chelsea, Bayern Munich, and Qarabag. The September 30 clash at Stamford Bridge—where Mourinho won three Premier League titles (2004-07, 2013-15)—looms as a narrative epic. Chelsea, fresh off their own 3-1 Bayern defeat, are reeling from Malo Gusto’s six-week hamstring injury and a controversial disallowed Cole Palmer goal, making the Mourinho matchup a potential powder keg. His Tottenham tenure (2019-21), cut short before a Carabao Cup final, adds spice: Spurs fans on X, like @SpursyVibes with 3,200 likes, jest, “José back to haunt us via Chelsea? Classic.” His brief 2000 Benfica stint—nine games, three wins—ended in acrimony, but The Guardian notes Costa’s faith in his “winning DNA” to rally a squad boasting talents like Orkun Kökçü and Gonçalo Guedes.
Fan reaction is a fever pitch. On X, @FansTribeHQ’s post on the “agreement in principle” exploded to 151 likes and 18 reposts, with @CloudNineSports quipping, “From Fener flop to Benfica king—script’s written!” Reddit’s r/soccer thread, “Mourinho to Benfica: The Return,” hit 4,500 upvotes, with u/EagleEye69 hailing it as “the redemption arc we didn’t see coming.” Yet, skeptics abound: u/PortoFanatic warned, “José’s park-the-bus era won’t gel with Benfica’s flair.” Punditry splits similarly. Gary Neville on Sky Sports lauded Mourinho’s “unmatched big-game nous,” citing his 26 trophies, including Inter’s 2010 Treble. Jamie Carragher, on CBS, cautioned: “At 62, can he evolve? Modern football demands pressing, not pragmatism.” ESPN notes his Roma spell (2021-24) delivered a Conference League but Serie A stagnation, while Fenerbahce’s second place masked tactical rigidity.
Benfica’s move thwarts rival suitors. João Noronha Lopes, a presidential candidate in October’s election, had eyed Manchester United’s Ruben Amorim—mired in a 14th-place Premier League crisis—after scouting his 3-0 City derby loss. The Telegraph confirms Lopes pivoted to Mourinho, whose Lisbon roots and 2000 history trumped Amorim’s availability. CaughtOffside adds that United’s hierarchy, despite Amorim’s struggles, rejected Benfica’s approach, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe banking on long-term growth. Meanwhile, Portugal’s national team post-2026 World Cup and even Saudi clubs lingered as options, but Mourinho’s heart stayed local. “Benfica is special,” he told CMTV. “It’s where I became me.”
The squad awaits transformation. Benfica’s youth—Kökçü’s playmaking, Guedes’ wing dynamism—suits Mourinho’s counter-attacking nous, but his 4-2-3-1 or 3-5-2 demands discipline absent in Lage’s collapse. Opta stats show Benfica’s 1.8 xG per game lags behind Porto’s 2.3, and their 62% pressing efficiency needs a Mourinho masterclass to rival Bayern’s 68%. Challenges loom: a tight presidential race, fan expectations of a 38th league title, and that Chelsea clash where Enzo Maresca, a disciple of Pep Guardiola, faces his antithesis. The Independent predicts Mourinho will lean on veterans like Nicolás Otamendi to steady the ship, with a January window eyeing Porto’s Alan Varela.
For Mourinho, this is more than a job—it’s legacy. His 2004 Porto UCL triumph, Inter’s Treble, and Chelsea’s three crowns cement his mythos, but recent stumbles (Tottenham’s final-less exit, Roma’s mid-table mire) demand a revival. As contracts finalize, X buzzes: @FootballTalkHQ’s “José’s Homecoming” poll (12,000 votes) shows 71% backing a trophy haul. In Lisbon’s autumn glow, the “Special One” steps back to his roots, eyes gleaming with unfinished business. Will he soar with the Eagles or crash in Europe’s cauldron? Against Chelsea, the world will watch.
