José Mourinho Set To Lead Benfica With Two-Year Deal

Benfica have a verbal agreement with José Mourinho to make him the new head coach until June 2027. He is expected to finalise the move in the next 24 hours, returning to the club where he began his senior managerial career 25 years ago.

WHAT HAPPENED?

The 62-year-old, who has been called ‘The Special One‘, accepted Benfica’s offer and has already arrived in Lisbon to sign the two-year contract. He is poised to return to Portuguese football after his recent experience abroad following his departure from Fenerbahçe, who failed to win the Super Lig title last season. Benfica were looking for a high-profile manager ever since the dismissal of former coach Bruno Lage, who struggled during his short stint. The Lisbon giants believe that they can reduce the gap at the top of the table if an experienced manager like Mourinho is in charge.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Benfica’s season has been underwhelming so far as they are placed second on the Primeira Liga table. According to reports, Benfica had started their league season strong with a 100% winning record in their first three matches, although they have since struggled and drew their last Primeira Liga match and lost their Champions League home fixture to Qarabag at home. Mourinho has won two Champions League titles and eight league titles across four countries but he has struggled in recent years, winning just two league titles since joining Roma in 2021. He will face a tough test with Benfica as the club struggles to maintain consistency in their performances and will be hoping to make the most of a challenging situation.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR MOURINHO?

Benfica are expected to announce his arrival shortly, after which he will take charge of the team’s training. The club’s next match is against AVS, a team who are placed at the bottom in the standings and won only one point from five matches this season. As the gap between the top three sides is not much, Mourinho’s main aim will be to inject belief and tactical discipline into a team that has not fulfilled its potential this season.