Jose Mourinho has essentially confirmed his new job as Benfica head coach by stepping out at Tires Aerodrome in a club scarf.
The Portuguese returns to the first club of his career, 25 years on from his sacking after just 11 games.
Since then he’s become one of the greatest managers of all time, but recent times haven’t been so good, being sacked by Fenerbahce just a couple of months into his second job.
Accosted by fans and the media, Mourinho was asked why he’s returning to Benfica, and gave the perfect response.
“I didn’t think twice. Who’s the coach who says no to Benfica? Not me,” he told the press.
“I have nothing to tell you. Before I got on the plane, they asked me if I might be interested. I said yes, I might be interested.
“Benfica officially asked me if I would be interested and said that when I returned to Portugal, I would be happy to speak with people.
“If I return to Benfica, it won’t be a career celebration, nor 25 years later, nor a return home.
“I left my previous club four weeks ago. If you ask me if I expected to stay until the end of the season without coaching, that’s not in my nature. I wanted to join.
“I didn’t want to say yes to a club that wasn’t the right one, just because I’m a workaholic. When I was faced with the possibility of coaching Benfica, I didn’t think twice about it, saying, ‘I’m interested, I’d like it’.”
Jose Mourinho shows his class
Mourinho then showed his class with a tribute to his predecessor Bruno Lage who was sacked less than 24 hours earlier.
“I know how he feels, I know what he’s feeling. He needs to grieve,” he said.
“No coach leaves happy, thinking things could have been different. I look at him with immense respect, as I went through the same thing not long ago.
“What I said about him a month ago, I repeat: he’s a great coach who had an important group, whom I congratulated.
“For Bruno, I only have respect and the best for his career. He knows that my return to Portugal, which wasn’t planned, but that what was in my mind as a natural consequence for my career would be to return to Portugal one day to coach the national team. If this happens with Benfica… Who is the coach who says no to Benfica? Not me.”
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