Benfica dismisses Lage following surprising loss; Mourinho potential successor?
In a surprising turn of events, Portuguese football club Benfica is reportedly set to bring back a familiar face as their new head coach. After parting ways with Bruno Lage following a shocking Champions League defeat against Qarabag Agdam, José Mourinho is expected to take over the helm.
Rui Costa, the club's president, announced that they have reached an agreement with Lage, who led Benfica to Portuguese Cup success last season. However, Lage's departure comes after a disappointing Champions League performance, where the Eagles led 2-0 against Qarabag but eventually lost 3-2. Lage wished good luck to whoever comes next at Benfica, and mentioned that Mourinho knows the squad well, having faced them three times in the Champions League.
Mourinho's coaching career began at Benfica but ended after just 11 matches at the end of 2000. After impressing at Uniao de Leiria, Mourinho joined Porto and led them to back-to-back league titles and the Champions League crown in 2004. It is worth noting that Porto is a rival of Benfica.
Mourinho's successful coaching career includes stints at Chelsea, Inter Milan, and Real Madrid before his fortunes started to decline after joining Manchester United in 2016. His most recent coaching role was at Fenerbahce, which he was dismissed from last month after over a year in the job.
All three of Portugal's sports dailies mention 62-year-old Mourinho as a possible successor for the Benfica coaching position. Known as the 'Special One,' Mourinho is expected to take charge by Saturday's league encounter with AVS, according to Costa. However, it is not yet confirmed if Mourinho has accepted the offer to return to Benfica.
Lage, during his first spell with Benfica, won the Portuguese Primeira Liga in 2019. If Mourinho does return, he will be tasked with helping Benfica regain their form and challenging for honours in the upcoming Champions League season.
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