Immediately after referee Joao Pinheiro's final whistle at Alvalade stadium on 18/4, all attention turned to the technical area. Mourinho walked towards the camera, celebrating proudly by pointing to his initials on his shirt and then to his head, seemingly asserting his role in the victory. This gesture quickly went viral on social media.

Coach Jose Mourinho points to his initials on his shirt after Benfica's 2-1 victory over Sporting in round 30 of the Portuguese national championship on 18/4. *Screenshot*.

In this match, Benfica opened the scoring with a penalty kick in the 27th minute, before Morita Hidemasa equalized for Sporting in the 72nd minute. The drama escalated in the third minute of injury time when substitute Rafa Silva penetrated the penalty area and scored with a diagonal shot, securing a 2-1 victory for the visiting team.

This result extended Benfica's unbeaten run to 30 matches in the Portuguese national championship this season, with 21 wins and 9 draws. However, Mourinho's team remains at a disadvantage in the title race, currently placed second with 72 points, 7 points behind Porto, with 4 rounds remaining in the season.

Mourinho's viral celebration.

After the match, Mourinho praised the performance of both teams. "This was a great match. To have a good game, three parties need to be excellent - the two teams and the referee", the Portuguese coach said. "Benfica played well, and Sporting showed their familiar style. The atmosphere in the stadium was fantastic".

However, "The Special One" expressed caution regarding their title chances. He believes Benfica still depends on the results of their rivals, especially league leaders Porto. "We are happy with the win, but we still have to look at the results of other teams. Our goal today was to win to move up to second, and we achieved that", Mourinho stated.

In the final 4 rounds, Benfica will face Moreirense, Famalicao, Braga, and Estoril Praia, while Porto will play Amadora, Alverca, AVS, and Santa Clara.

Coach Jose Mourinho reacts during the match. *Abola*.

In summer 2025, Mourinho signed a two-year contract with Benfica, returning to the club after 25 years. Under the Portuguese coach, Benfica has lost 8, drawn 8, and won 25 matches, achieving a 60,98% win rate. This season, Benfica suffered a 0-1 defeat to Porto in the national cup quarterfinals, were eliminated by Real in the Champions League play-off round, and now only have a chance to compete in the national championship.

According to Spanish media, Mourinho is one of the candidates to replace Alvaro Arbeloa from the 2026-2027 season. Real risks a trophy-less season, having suffered a shock 2-3 defeat to Albacete in the King's Cup round of 1/8, recently eliminated by Bayern from the Champions League quarterfinals, and currently sitting second in La Liga, 9 points behind Barca. This puts Arbeloa's future in significant doubt.

Before the Sporting match, when asked about his future, Mourinho did not give a clear commitment. "Can I guarantee I will be at Benfica next season? I spoke about this two months ago, a few weeks ago, and even a few days ago. I cannot guarantee what will happen", the 63-year-old coach said, before asking the reporter in return: "Are you sure you will still be doing this job?".

A reporter from RTP responded humorously: "I am, because nobody else wants me". The answer made the entire press conference room, including Mourinho, burst into laughter.

Hong Duy (via Goal, Marca)