Benfica Bets on Mourinho: Romance and Politics in Lisbon

Those who know José Mourinho’s history and Benfica’s chaotic position today will understand that his return to the club exactly 25 years after leaving makes emotional and political sense, even if the footballing logic is complicated. He leaves Fenerbahçe after a messy spell in which the football progressively declined, the relationship with the board frayed, and the drumbeat felt familiar for a coach who has been routinely sacked at recent stops. Benfica, by contrast, is somewhat of a step up the ladder: a bigger club, better facilities, Champions League nights, excellent infrastructure, and a talent pipeline that is one of the best in Europe. It is also Portugal’s biggest stage for a Portuguese legend whose career arc since his second stint at Chelsea— from Manchester United to Tottenham to Roma to Fenerbahçe—has drifted downward. Drop that into a Lisbon context where Bruno Lage had lost the fanbase after a two-goal collapse to Qarabag and presidential elections loom ominously, and you can see why President Rui Costa is presenting this as a coup by President Rui Costa: hire a national icon, steady the ship, and bank enough votes to get himself reelected.

There are stark parallels here. Two and a half decades ago, Mourinho’s first senior job at Benfica lasted just 11 matches, but it ignited the spark that led to everything that came after. He walked into chaos, raised standards overnight, promoted young players on merit, and created the protective, siege-mentality cocoon that later defined his great sides. His Benfica exit in 2000 was far more based in politics than the footballing product on the pitch—a new president who had promised to bring back an ex-manager, a demand for contract tension, and a power play that backfired for the Benfica hierarchy. Mourinho followed this dismissal with a stint at Leiria before riding a rocket to Europe’s summit with Porto in 2004. The history explains why this reunion carries the weight of unfinished business: Benfica believes Jose can still impose order and a winning mentality, and Mourinho believes he can still bend the club to his will and deliver silverware at a time when Porto and Sporting seem a step ahead.

However, many aren’t convinced by the long-term fit—for good reason. I have immense respect for Mourinho; despite his reputation for boring football, the most fun I have had watching United since Sir Alex came under him, and I would still trust him more than almost any other manager to bring success in cup competitions. Yet, his footballing philosophy seems increasingly divorced from the styles we see bring success to top teams around Europe. Mourinho, especially in big games, prefers to risk selectively: to control the flow of the game without the ball, to mitigate the opponents’ strengths, to press in moments rather than on principle. He prefers veterans who know the dark arts to high-potential kids from the academy who would be learning on the job. That style inherently grates against Benfica’s model, which is built to develop and sell: relentless intensity, constant pressing, and minutes to players who are yet to be the finished article in the hope of them developing into the next big outbound fee. The culture has shifted over the last few decades, too. Dressing rooms are younger, more online, and more sensitive to public temperature. The siege mentality that once unified the quintessential Mourinho dressing room can now do more to fracture it. It was much easier to keep a whole squad on message in the early 2000s, especially compared to today, when Fabrizio Romano is tweeting copy-pasted propaganda from an unpicked player’s social circle. 

That said, I can absolutely see the bounce in the short-term. Mourinho will tighten the back line, simplify roles within a compact team structure, and turn league matches into digestible problems. Benfica can reclaim the title quickly and win the domestic cups; that is the lane where his game-management and emotional electricity still travel best. In Europe’s new league phase, I’d back him to weaponize underdog energy, ugly up elite matches, and live off set pieces and moments. Over a two-leg tie, a Mourinho side remains a miserable opponent. The question is what it looks like a season and a half from now, when the squad needs to regenerate and the academy kids either play or get sold. If Rui Costa’s electoral calculus holds, the short-term wind will feel worth it. If the politics flip, a new president inherits an expensive coach with potential behind-the-scenes promises to replace him once things dip. Either way, Benfica has placed a very public bet that the past can still win the future. I hope it works and fear it won’t last—but what I do know is that it will be entertaining either way.