The Portuguese coach is on the verge of returning to the first club he guided as the main coach. Twenty -five years separated by a consecrated career, but in common a club in the middle of electoral turbulence.
September 2000. Precisely 25 years ago, José Mourinho was presented as coach of Benfica. I wanted fate that, after two and a half decades – full of national and international titles, European and world glory, but also heavy defeats and large dismissals – Mourinho was very close to returning to the club where he faced the first challenge as the main coach.
An electoral asset
Personal bet of President João Vale and Azevedo, who would go to elections a month later, Mourinho reached the 37 years, against the desire of most elements of the club’s social organs.
After nearly 10 years of accumulated experience as a deputy of Sir Bobby Robson finally arrived the opportunity to take over the reins of a technical team.
The presentation as the new coach of the “Eagles” took place on September 20, 2000 and, curiously, will be on September 20, 2025 that Mourinho will be able to guide the first game in the service of Benfica, since who intends to have the replacement of Bruno Lage on the bank already at the meeting against AFS.
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False departure
The iconic Bessa Stadium hosted Mourinho’s debut and the result was unruly: 1-0 defeat against the future national champion Boavista, with a Duda goal after two minutes and Maniche expelled near the end.
The first eagle victory to the chest took place three weeks and two draws later (one of them dictated the elimination of the UEFA Cup) in Luz before Belenenses, thanks to a lonely goal by Carlos Marchena.
Dismissal of a “term coach”
Mourinho would lose only one of the remaining seven games he played in the technical command of the “incarnated”. In December ‘knocked on the door’ and resigned to feel a “time coach”, just over a month after the electoral defeat of Vale and Azevedo against Manuel Vilarinho, who preferred Toni for office.
“Mou” left Benfica on matchday 13, in 6th place – position in which the team would finish the championship – and had a categorical triumph by 3-0 over Sporting in the “eternal derby”. In 11 games he added six wins, three draws and two losses.
Twenty -five years later, José Mourinho is about to return to the starting home. It is again the bet of a president just over a month of new elections. It remains to know how you will try to rewrite Benfica’s story.
