"If I stayed home until the end of the season, I would earn more than working at Benfica," Mourinho told Portuguese media on 22/9. "It's that simple. At home, enjoying time with my family, going to London, taking them to the Algarve, traveling around, I'd have more. I'm actually losing money by managing Benfica."

Coach Mourinho during Benfica's 1-1 draw with Rio Ave at Luz stadium, Lisbon, Portugal, on 23/9/2025. Photo: Abola

European media reported Mourinho earned an annual salary of 11 million USD after taxes while managing Fenerbahce, and received 17 million USD in compensation after being dismissed in late August. At Benfica, "The Special One" earns about 7 million USD annually, significantly less than his earnings in Turkey. This discrepancy likely explains his statement about staying home being more profitable.

Mourinho emphasized that his desire isn't about money, but the thrill of competition. "I miss fighting for titles. I couldn't do that at Roma or Fenerbahce. Staying home isn't for me either," the 62-year-old manager expressed.

Before Fenerbahce, Mourinho received 35 million USD from Chelsea after two departures from Stamford Bridge, in 2007 and 2015. His contract termination with Real Madrid yielded another 23 million USD. At Man Utd, his compensation reached 26 million USD. Tottenham also paid him 20 million USD upon his dismissal before the 2021 League Cup final. Mourinho's smallest compensation package came from Roma, where he received "only" 4 million USD. In total, his seven dismissals have earned him a sum equivalent to the transfer fee of a top global star. Only 11 players have commanded transfer fees exceeding 125 million USD.

Mourinho's Benfica tenure started with a perfect 3-0 away win against AVS in the 5th round of the Portuguese Primeira Liga. However, in his second match, his home debut at Luz stadium on 23/9, Benfica drew 1-1 with Rio Ave. Heorhiy Sudakov put Benfica ahead in the 86th minute, but Andre Luiz equalized in stoppage time.

In this match, Vangelis Pavlidis had a goal disallowed after VAR intervention determined Nicolas Otamendi had committed a foul earlier in the play. This decision infuriated Mourinho. "If this is the new football, where goals are disallowed for stepping on someone's toe, I don't like this kind of football," he said. "The game went Rio Ave's way, and the referee allowed it. We could do nothing but try to play like we did in the second half."

Mourinho admitted his players lacked experience and made crucial mistakes after taking the lead. "To concede a goal on the counter-attack after leading in the 86th minute is unacceptable. Some players showed fatigue and lacked freshness. I didn't want to make many changes because it wasn't the right time, but clearly this result is very bad for us," the Portuguese manager stated.

Benfica currently sits third in the Portuguese Primeira Liga with 14 points from six matches, one point behind Sporting and four points behind Porto. On 26/9, Mourinho's team will play another home game against Gil Vicente, the 4th-placed team.

Compiled by Hong Duy