The footballing carousel has spun once again, and this time it has brought José Mourinho full circle. In a move that stunned fans and sent shockwaves through European football, Benfica have confirmed the appointment of Mourinho as their new head coach. For the man who first cut his managerial teeth in Lisbon more than two decades ago, this is not just another job. It is a return, a reckoning and perhaps the most personal challenge of his extraordinary career.
Just days earlier, Mourinho’s turbulent spell in Turkey came to an abrupt end. Fenerbahçe’s Champions League play-off defeat to Benfica proved to be the final act of a 14-month tenure that promised much but ultimately delivered no silverware. His exit, complete with a severance package reported at £13 million, was as dramatic as his entrance had been, marked by fireworks, fanfare and the usual swirl of headlines. And yet, even as he left Istanbul, the whispers of his next move had already begun. Few could have predicted that his conquerors in Europe would so quickly become his new employers.
Benfica’s decision to appoint Mourinho carries both romance and ruthlessness. Romance, because this is the club where a young José, armed with little more than ambition and self-belief, took his first managerial steps back in 2000. His spell lasted barely three months, cut short by boardroom politics, but it lit the fuse on a career that would redefine football management. Ruthlessness, because Benfica have turned to him now not as a sentimental gesture but as a calculated gamble, as betting that the “Special One” can deliver trophies, charisma and identity to a club desperate to reassert itself at the summit of Portuguese and European football.
For Mourinho, this return is loaded with symbolism. He has conquered Europe’s greatest stages: lifting the Champions League with FC Porto in 2004, orchestrating a historic treble with Inter Milan in 2010, breaking records with Real Madrid and delivering league titles and cups in England with Chelsea and Manchester United. More recently, he became a cult hero in Rome, guiding AS Roma to their first-ever European trophy, the UEFA Europa Conference League, in 2022. But Lisbon has always been unfinished business.
“I’ve won everywhere I’ve gone,” he said in his unveiling press conference, his trademark steel glinting in his voice. “But Benfica is not about my past, it is about my future. It is about home.”
Supporters are already dreaming. Imagine Mourinho leading Benfica deep into the Champions League, reviving the club’s continental prestige, or simply restoring dominance over fierce rivals Porto and Sporting Lisbon. His arrival has ignited belief, filling Estádio da Luz with expectation. “This feels bigger than just a signing,” said one fan draped in Benfica red outside the stadium. “It feels like history correcting itself.”
Of course, Mourinho’s story has always been a cocktail of glory and conflict, triumph and turmoil. For every treble and title, there have been fallouts with players, wars with referees, and explosive exits. His critics argue that the game has passed him by, that modern football has moved on from his defensive pragmatism and combative style. Yet his track record tells another story; more than 25 major trophies across four different countries and the unique distinction of being the only manager to win all three of UEFA’s modern competitions, namely, the Champions League, the Europa League and the Europa Conference League.
Benfica, then, are embracing both the genius and the gamble. If Mourinho succeeds, the rewards will be enormous, prestige, silverware and the sense of a club once again rubbing shoulders with Europe’s elite. If he fails, it will be another fiery chapter in a career already thick with drama. But one thing is certain, it will never be a dull moment.
For a manager who has defined himself as much by personality as by results, Benfica offers something no other job can and that is the chance to return to the beginning and
rewrite the ending. The Special One is coming home. And as the Estádio da Luz prepares to roar under his command, the world of football will once again be watching, captivated by a man who has always been more than just a coach.
Mourinho’s Career in Highlights
2000 – Benfica
First managerial role, lasted three months before resigning amid boardroom disputes.
2002–2004 – FC Porto
Won back-to-back league titles, the Portuguese Cup, the UEFA Cup in 2003, and the UEFA Champions League in 2004.
2004–2007 – Chelsea (First Spell)
Branded himself “The Special One.” Won two Premier League titles, an FA Cup, and two League Cups, ending Chelsea’s 50-year title drought.
2008–2010 – Inter Milan
Won two Serie A titles and achieved an historic treble in 2010 (Serie A, Coppa Italia, Champions League).
2010–2013 – Real Madrid
Claimed La Liga with a record 100 points, Copa del Rey, and Spanish Super Cup, breaking Barcelona’s dominance.
2013–2015 – Chelsea (Second Spell)
Added another Premier League title and League Cup in 2015 before leaving amid turmoil.
2016–2018 – Manchester United
Won the Europa League, League Cup, and Community Shield. Delivered United’s last European trophy.
2019–2021 – Tottenham Hotspur
Reached a League Cup final but departed days before it was played.
2021–2023 – AS Roma
Won the inaugural UEFA Europa Conference League and reached a Europa League final.
2025 – Benfica Return
Returns to the club where it all began, now as a global icon, tasked with delivering silverware and prestige at Estádio da Luz.
