Three weeks after being sacked as Fenerbahce boss, Jose Mourinho has returned to his homeland as he succeeds Bruno Lage as Benfica head coach.
Lage was dismissed following Benfica’s surprise home Champions League loss to Azerbaijani side Qarabag on Tuesday night, throwing away a two-goal lead in the process.
Enzo Barrenechea and Vangelis Pavlidis had put the Portuguese giants in the ascendancy, only for Leandro Andrade, Camilo Duran and Oleksii Kashchuk to respond to hand Qarabag to a memorable 3-2 win at the Estadio Da Luz.
And the club acted swiftly to bring Mourinho in as Lage’s successor, with the iconic boss returning to Portugal for the first time since leaving Porto for Premier League side Chelsea in 2004.
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Mourinho actually oversaw 11 league matches as Benfica boss in 2000 before joining Sir Bobby Robson at Newcastle as assistant manager.
Mourinho return will 'elevate' Portuguese football
However, Mourinho’s return has divided opinion back in Portugal, with former Tottenham striker Helder Postiga, who played under the legendary manager at Porto, believing his return will elevate Portuguese football.
“It will be great for the game here. Mourinho is more than a man – he’s a global brand. His presence will spark interest and curiosity. Both Benfica and the league will benefit from his exposure,” Postiga said.
“Things will have to change. His name has impact and Benfica’s squad has quality but the ball needs to enter the goal for things to work.”
Sporting boss Rui Borges is also excited at the prospect of facing Mourinho this season, though he’ll have to wait until December for the first Lisbon Derby between the two Portuguese managers.
“I'm happy to be able to face a great coach, someone who was once the best in the world and still is one of the best. For me, that’s a challenge,” Borges is quoted as saying by Maisfutebol.
Former Benfica centre-back and current Manchester City star Ruben Dias also added: “Mourinho at Benfica? I hope it’s a successful relationship.”
Current Porto boss Francesco Farioli was tight lipped on Mourinho’s return to Portuguese football, stating: “He’s a legend of Portuguese football, a reference for me and for everyone. It’s not my place to talk about something that doesn’t involve FC Porto.”
Costa criticised for Mourinho appointment
That said, the decision to appoint Mourinho has been met with criticism, namely towards club president Rui Costa for tying the club to a new head coach ahead of next month’s elections.
A Bola journalist Joao Pimpim believes there is a failure at board level if a club of Benfica's stature has to replace their manager so early in the season.
"There is a failure in management when the coach chosen for one or more seasons - the one who oversaw preseason, who helped plan the squad through signings and sales, the person selected to lead a group of players often valued in the millions - is the same one who, just a month later, is deemed no longer suitable," Pimpim wrote.
"Sometimes it becomes clear that, in fact, he was never the right fit - but for one reason or another, he was kept at the helm of those millions. That’s what happened, for example, with Lage who, according to Rui Costa’s own statements, was already dispensable back in June, after losing the league and the Portuguese Cup.
"This mistake - of persisting with a project that’s no longer working - is not a first for the Benfica president: one year ago, he was doing exactly the same, when he sacked Roger Schmidt after just four matchdays. That makes two."
Costa faces competition from Joao Noronha Lopes and former president Luis Filipe Vieira as the ex-Fiorentina and AC Milan midfielder stands for re-election.
Mourinho has penned a deal until June 2027 but there is a break clause next summer that is related to the presidential elections.
As fate would have it, Mourinho faces two former employers in his opening six games in charge of Benfica.
The Lisbon side face Chelsea in the Champions League at the end of the month, before taking on Porto in domestic duties to kick off October.
Topics: Jose Mourinho, Benfica, Football, Portugal, Premier League, Champions League
Ben McAleer