According to Portuguese media, Mourinho left Barcelona on Sunday afternoon via private jet and landed at Tires Airport at 6:22 pm Lisbon time. "The Special One" has agreed to manage Benfica through the 2026-2027 season. His debut could come as early as this weekend against AFS at Vila das Aves in the 6th round of the Portuguese Primeira Liga.

"Before boarding the plane, they asked me if I was interested. I said yes. Benfica asked, and I replied that when I returned to Portugal, I was ready to talk. Returning to Benfica is not about celebrating my career," Mourinho stated after arriving back in his home country. "I'm a workaholic; I don't want to sit around until the end of the season. When offered the chance to lead Benfica, I didn't need to think twice. Which coach could refuse Benfica? Not me."

Coach Mourinho speaks to the media after returning to Portugal on 17/9. Photo: Daily Mail

Coach Mourinho speaks to the media after returning to Portugal on 17/9. Photo: Daily Mail

Benfica announced the dismissal of coach Bruno Lage on the evening of 16/9, immediately after a 2-3 home defeat to Qarabag in the first leg of the Champions League. President Rui Costa considered Mourinho the top candidate, and the two sides quickly reached an agreement.

The Portuguese coach expressed respect for his predecessor, Bruno Lage. "I understand how he feels," Mourinho said. "No coach leaves a job happily. I've been in that situation myself, and I can only offer Bruno my respect. A month ago, I said he was a good coach with a strong team and deserved congratulations."

Mourinho's new job comes less than three weeks after being dismissed by Fenerbahce. Fenerbahce President Ali Koc stated that Mourinho's defensive style and the team's lack of creativity were the main factors leading to his departure.

When asked about Koc's comments, Mourinho replied, "Whenever I leave a club, I always close that chapter without assigning blame or making excuses. He has a different way of handling things. He talks a lot, but he hasn't explained why the player who eliminated Fenerbahce from the Champions League - Kerem Akturkoglu - was only signed after doing so. Let's wait and see."

On 27/8, Akturkoglu scored the only goal as Benfica defeated Fenerbahce 1-0 on aggregate in the playoff round, securing a spot in this season's Champions League group stage. However, on 1/9, Fenerbahce announced they had signed him from Benfica for 25 million USD plus add-ons.

Mourinho had a three-month stint managing Benfica in 2000.

Mourinho has retained Ricardo Rocha and Nuno Santos from Lage's former staff and brought in Joao Tralhao, Antonio Dias, and Pedro Machado for his new coaching team at Benfica.

Joao Tralhao, 45, has only worked with Mourinho since this season but is a familiar face at Benfica, having spent nearly 20 years with the club's youth academy. He won the U19 league twice before leaving the team in 2018-2019 to manage the U23s. Tralhao then worked as an assistant to Thierry Henry at Monaco, briefly managed Vilafranquense, and assisted Nuri Sahin at Antalyaspor and Dortmund before rejoining Benfica with Mourinho.

Machado, 40, has also only recently joined Mourinho's team. He has managed several lower-division Portuguese teams, including Freamunde, Vila Mea, Anadia, Sao Joao de Ver, and Oliveira do Hospital. In the 2024-2025 season, he briefly held the head coach position at Academica.

Dias, 42, began working with Mourinho this season after more than a decade as a fitness coach for Nuno Espirito Santo.

This marks a reunion between Mourinho and Benfica after 25 years. In September 2000, following a long period as a physical education teacher, youth coach, translator, and assistant coach, Mourinho began his professional management career with Benfica. He was appointed in the 4th round of the Portuguese league after Benfica dismissed German coach Jupp Heynckes. However, in December 2000, after only 9 games in charge, Mourinho left Benfica due to disagreements with the club's new management.

Compiled by Hong Duy