Mourinho appointed Benfica manager

Benfica have appointed Jose Mourinho as their manager on a deal until the summer of 2027.

Mourinho, 62, succeeds Bruno Lage, who was sacked after the shock Champions League defeat against Qarabag on Tuesday.

The former Chelsea boss returns to management less than a month after being dismissed by Fenerbahce following a Champions League play-offs defeat by his new club Benfica.

Mourinho began his managerial career with Benfica in 2000 but took charge of only 10 games and left following a dispute with the club president.

His new deal at Benfica includes an option for the club and Mourinho to decide not to continue for another season up to 10 days after the end of the 2025-26 campaign.

Lage was sacked despite losing just one game across all competitions this season and Mourinho inherits a side that sit sixth in the Primeira Liga, five points adrift of leaders Porto, but with a game in hand.

His first game back at the Lisbon-based club is on Saturday at 18:00 BST when they travel to 17th-placed AVS.

Mourinho made his name during a spell with Porto between 2002 and 2004 where he won six trophies, including the Champions League in 2003-04.

Since leaving his homeland in 2004, Mourinho has managed Chelsea, Inter Milan, Real Madrid, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Roma and Fenerbahce.

After sacking Lage on Tuesday, Benfica president Rui Costa said the new manager must have the "profile of a winner".

Mourinho certainly fits that brief, having won 21 major trophies, with his most recent success coming in the Conference League with Roma in 2022.

The Portuguese, who famously gave himself the moniker 'the special one' in 2004, returns to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea in the Champions League on 30 September.

Benfica also travel to Newcastle and host another of his former teams Real Madrid later in the league phase of the competition.

They finished second in the Portuguese top flight last season and last won the title in 2022-23.

Mourinho endured a turbulent time in Turkey and was often at odds with the standard of refereeing.

In November, Mourinho blamed Fenerbahce for only telling him "half of the truth" about the level of officiating and said referee Atilla Karaoglan was "man of the match" after his side scored late to beat Trabzonspor.

He filed a lawsuit against rival club Galatasaray in February after they accused him of making racist statements.