Mourinho appointed at Benfica as he returns to Portugal
LISBON: Benfica appointed Jose Mourinho as their coach on Thursday, with the Portuguese returning to work in his homeland 21 years after leaving Porto for Chelsea. The 62-year-old, who also coached Real Madrid and Manchester United among other clubs, was sacked by Turkish side Fenerbahce in August after Benfica beat them in the Champions League play-offs. Mourinho has signed a contract “to run until the end of the 2026/27 season,” Benfica said in a statement, with an option for either party to end the deal at the end of the current campaign. The two-time European champions sacked Bruno Lage after a shock defeat in their Champions League opener against Azerbaijani minnows Qarabag on Tuesday. Mourinho will soon face reunions against former sides Chelsea and Porto, in the Champions League on September 30 and in the Primeira Liga on October 5 respectively. “I come to Benfica at a different stage in my career, and as a person... we transform for the better,” Mourinho told reporters, sitting alongside Benfica president Rui Costa. “I’m more altruistic, less self-centered, I think less about myself and more about the good I can do for others, the joy I can bring to others.