Online Reporter
JOSE Mourinho (pictured), has been confirmed as Benfica’s new head coach, marking a dramatic homecoming 25 years after his brief first stint at the Lisbon giants, and he will immediately face old club Chelsea in the Champions League.
The 62-year-old succeeds Bruno Lage, who was sacked after Tuesday’s 3-2 home defeat to Qarabag of Azerbaijan. Benfica president Rui Costa said the club “needs a coach with a winner’s profile,” and Mourinho, with two Champions League titles, a UEFA Cup, Europa League, Conference League and eight league crowns, fits that bill.
Mourinho’s managerial journey since leaving Benfica in December 2000 has taken him to 10 clubs and the pinnacle of European football, including trophy laden spells at Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan, Real Madrid and Manchester United. His last league title came in 2015 with Chelsea, while his most recent silverware was the Europa Conference League with Roma three years ago.
The “Special One” first quit Benfica after only 11 games, frustrated by a boardroom change when Manuel Vilarinho replaced Joao Vale e Azevedo as president and refused to guarantee him a new contract. “
Supporters gathered outside the modern Estadio da Luz, still on the drawing board when Mourinho first coached the club, welcomed the return of a man seen as Portugal’s greatest coach.
“We are missing those kinds of iconic coaches here,” said CNN journalist Joao Pedro Oca.
Yet the appointment comes with political risk. Benfica hold presidential elections on October 25 and Costa trails narrowly in polls. Critics claim bringing in a high profile, expensive manager is a bid to sway voters. “If a new president is elected, Mourinho could be left working for someone who didn’t hire him,” said Ingles.
Despite questions over his recent record, Mourinho remains a revered figure in Portuguese football.
“He is cherished and almost transcends club rivalries,” noted Expresso journalist Diogo Pombo.
Mourinho’s first major test will be on September 30 when Benfica visit Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea, the club where he famously introduced himself in 2004 as the “Special One” and won three Premier League titles across two spells. – BBC.com/Sports Reporter
