Mourinho. The following special

With mediocre football, erratic speeches, and a complete lack of empathy for the fans, Bruno Lage demonstrated his inability to coach a club the size of Benfica. Obviously, he was fired! José Mourinho is the man he'll be following until June 2027. All this happens three weeks after the 'Special One' left Estádio da Luz through the back door, eliminated from the Champions League by Bruno Lage. Now, he's entering through the front door to take his friend from Setúbal's place and play in the million-dollar league. The world of football is spinning.

José Mourinho returns to Benfica after 25 years. There are several similarities with his first stint at the club, presided over by Vale e Azevedo, where he spent two and a half months. He won six games, drew three, and lost two, with the most impactful result being the 3-0 victory over Sporting. On September 20th, he signed his first contract with Benfica; this time, it took place on September 18th. What they have in common is the fact that the club was experiencing an election climate.

This 'swinging stroke' by Rui Costa offset the embarrassment of the home defeat to Qarabag (2-3), which stunned the football world. By hiring a world-renowned coaching expert and an excellent communicator, he is shielded in electoral terms. It's clear that José Mourinho is the president's choice, but also that of the candidate in the upcoming elections. With 36 days to go before the election, one cannot be separated from the other. It's important to emphasize, however, that the current president has every right to hire whomever he wishes until the end of his term, as the club's bylaws do not limit his powers in this area. Despite this, the contract now signed contains a clause that allows either party to terminate the contract at the end of this season without having to pay compensation to the other.

Along with Cristiano Ronaldo, José Mourinho is the most well-known Portuguese figure worldwide, but he is not a consensus among Benfica fans due to his connection to FC Porto, and the fact that he received a standing ovation at Estádio do Dragão last Saturday doesn't help matters.

It's not just Benfica that benefits from this signing; the Portuguese league will gain unprecedented notoriety. The international press has been heavily involved in the 'Special One's' move to Portugal. The effect has already begun to be felt. On the way from Tires airport to his home in Azeitão, he wore a Benfica scarf and saw many people applauding him.

"I have so many emotions, but my experience helps me control them," he began his presentation. He spoke to the hearts of Benfica fans: "This is the greatest honor I've ever had. I'm very happy to be part of the Benfica nation. From now on, I want to focus on the pleasure of coaching one of the biggest clubs in the world," he said.

José Mourinho is the best Portuguese coach of all time, but his career has seen better days, as evidenced by his poor sporting results in the recent past. There's a 'Special One' who won 20 titles between 2002 and 2013 and enchanted millions of fans as manager of Chelsea, Inter Milan, and Real Madrid, and a Mourinho from the following decade, who played boring, defensive football at Chelsea, Manchester United, Tottenham, Roma, and Fenerbahçe, where he won only six titles and accumulated sackings that cost him over €100 million in compensation. The big question is which Mourinho will we see at Benfica? One thing is certain: the charismatic, provocative, and uncaring José Mourinho is different, as he admitted: "I come to Benfica at a stage in my career where I'm more altruistic and less egocentric. The club, the players, and the fans are the most important thing."

Given his stature and status in world football, José Mourinho's arrival could bring new energy and greater dynamism to the team. It's clear he'll break with the system and way of playing, but that doesn't guarantee victories. This breath of fresh air is also motivating for fans, who are living through a period of anguish.

Relaunch your career

The Setúbal-born coach has worked in many locker rooms and coached many stars; a return to Benfica could help him relaunch his career. He has the disadvantage of not having completed preseason training and not having a thorough understanding of each player's characteristics. Added to this is the fact that he doesn't have time to train, as he will play three games in the space of a week: AVS (20th), Rio Ave (23rd), and Gil Vicente (26th). "I have to make adjustments, but gently. I can't make radical changes for the first game. It has to be done slowly, especially since my predecessor did a lot well," explained Mourinho, who acknowledged that "the team has more potential than last year."

We know he's very strong psychologically and motivating his players with easy-going, yet tough-talking words when necessary, and that can make all the difference. "I identify strongly with Benfica's culture, which is about winning through effort and sacrifice." He added: "I'm desperate to win the next game; that's my essence. I'm hungrier to win these days than I was 25 years ago."

Unlike what he did in 2002 when he arrived at FC Porto, José Mourinho didn't say he would be a champion. "I'm not promising anything, but I'm convinced that Benfica has the potential to win championships." Regarding the style of football he wants to play, he was pragmatic: "When we have the ball, we have to attack with 11 players; without the ball, we have to defend with 11." He also left a message for the dressing room: "We won't always win, but when we lose, we have to leave everything on the pitch."

The election candidates were cautious when discussing José Moutinho, especially since they may need him starting on October 25th. Instead, they preferred to attack current president Rui Costa for keeping Bruno Lage. João Noronha Lopes was quite harsh: "The last few hours were the culmination of four disastrous years. With just over a month to go before the elections, Benfica is hostage to the decisions of Rui Costa, a president with no authority to decide the club's fate," he wrote on social media.

João Diogo Manteigas stated: "A fifth coach arrives in four seasons; it's clear to everyone that Rui Costa is a complete and serious failure. He must take responsibility for his successive mistakes and not risk making another one." Luís Filipe Vieira was equally critical of Rui Costa: "It's time for the current president to take responsibility for yet another failure. There are already too many sporting failures and management errors that force Benfica to pay millions in compensation." Cristóvão Carvalho condemned the new coach's hiring and warned: "Mourinho is not my coach. If I become president of Benfica, I will have to fire him; he is not prepared for what I believe Benfica's future will be."