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José Mourinho Named New Benfica Manager; First Match at AVS

   September 19, 2025

Benfica has officially appointed José Mourinho as the club’s new manager, bringing one of the most successful coaches in football history back to the Portuguese top flight.

The announcement came just 24 hours after Benfica’s 3-2 home loss to Qarabağ in their Champions League opener, a result that led to the dismissal of Bruno Lage. Club president Rui Costa confirmed the hiring at a press conference on Thursday afternoon, calling Mourinho “the right man to lead Benfica forward.”

Mourinho, 62, has signed what is provisionally a two-year deal with the Lisbon-based outfit less than three weeks after being sacked by Fenerbahce.

Mourinho, who has won league titles in Portugal, England, Italy, and Spain, as well as two UEFA Champions League trophies, expressed his excitement about returning to manage in his home country.

“I have so many emotions, but experience helps me control them,” he said during his unveiling.

“I want to thank you for your trust. Being Portuguese, there’s obviously no one who isn’t familiar with the history and culture of the Benfica nation and this club, but I want to make it clear that I have to be able to block out all these emotions and view Benfica in a very simplistic way.

“I’m the coach of one of the biggest clubs in the world. I want to focus on this mission, focusing not on the difficulty but on the pleasure of a coach’s job, focusing on something exciting.”

Mourinho left Portugal in the summer of 2004 to join Chelsea shortly after guiding FC Porto to Champions League glory.

His arrival is expected to energize supporters and bring a new sense of urgency as Benfica looks to get back on track both domestically and in Europe. His first match in charge will be this weekend’s Liga fixture at AVS, where fans will get their first glimpse of the team under his leadership.

He will return to Stamford Bridge on September 30 when Benfica play at Chelsea in the Champions League before visiting FC Porto on October 5 in the domestic league.

 

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