Olushola Omogbehin
Following his sacking from Fenerbahce earlier this season, Jose Mourinho is in the process of returning to management as is being lined up to join Benfica which if successful would put in on a collision course with former club Chelsea.
Mourinho was dismissed by Fenerbahce after failing to qualify for the Champions League and his time in Turkey ended in August just over a year.
Reports suggest so far that the 62-year-old is one of the favourites to take over from Bruno Lage who was sacked by Benfica on Tuesday evening hours after the team’s surprise 3-2 defeat to Qarabag in the Champions League.
Benfica are in sixth position in the Primeira Liga table having won three and drawn one of their opening four matches but less than positive performances and the defeat to Qarabag proved decisive for the board to relieve themselves of Bruno Lage in search of a ‘winner’.
In the direction, Club President Rui Costa said: “We have reached an agreement with Bruno Lage to step down as Benfica’s coach. I thank him for everything he’s done for our club, but we believe it’s time for a change.
“Regarding the next coach, we expect to have the new one on the bench at Vila das Aves next Saturday. We’ve had a tough week for all Benfica fans, after the match against Santa Clara and this match against Qarabag. We haven’t compromised anything, we haven’t dropped out of any competition, but I believe this is the time for a change.
“The Benfica coach must be a winner. He must be a coach who represents a club of this size and has the ability to bring this team to the required levels. We won’t talk about names. Benfica is currently without a coach. The only thing that happened after the game was the conversation with Bruno Lage. No coach has been hired today.”
Should Mourinho re-join Benfica, it would be a sensational return to the Portuguese club where he began his managerial career 25 years ago.
Ironically, it was Benfica who beat Mourinho’s Fenerbahce to deny them a spot in the Champions League this season.
Already, Mourinho said Benfica reached out to him to gauge his interest in a return to the club with whom he started his head coaching career in 2000.
“Benfica officially asked me if I was interested… What coach says no to Benfica? Not me,” Mourinho told reporters after landing in the Portuguese capital.
“When I was presented with the opportunity to coach Benfica, I didn’t hesitate to say that I’m interested, that I’d like to.”
Should a deal be agreed with Benfica, Mourinho will likely be in place ahead of this weekend’s fixtures and will face a return to Stamford Bridge to take on Chelsea in Champions League on September 30.
