Benfica have sacked coach Bruno Lage following Tuesday’s Champions League defeat to minnows Qarabag, with reports emerging that former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho is in line to take over.
Mourinho began his coaching career at Benfica but quit after just two and a half months before making his name at the Lisbon giants’ arch rivals Porto.
He was dismissed by Fenerbahce last month after just over a year in the job following the Turkish side’s elimination from the Champions League qualifying competition, ironically at the hands of Benfica.
The Eagles led 2-0 early on at home to Azerbaijan’s Qarabag on Tuesday before falling to a shock 3-2 reverse in their opening league stage game.
“We have just reached an agreement with Bruno Lage, who today leaves his post as Benfica coach,” former Portugal midfielder Rui Costa, the club’s president, told AFP on Tuesday night.
Football transfer expert Fabrizio Romano confirmed Mourinho’s imminent appointment on Wednesday morning.
Romano wrote on X: “Benfica are in advanced talks with José Mourinho after Bruno Lage got sacked overnight! ❤️🤍
Fenerbahce sack Mourinho after one season
“Understand Mourinho has opened doors to Benfica move as he wants to return to coaching immediately. The agreement could be sealed soon.”
Former Wolverhampton Wanderers boss Lage, who was in his second spell at Benfica, was already under pressure after his team dropped their first league points of the season away to Santa Clara at the weekend.
Costa said that Benfica expected to have their new coach in charge in time for Saturday’s league encounter with AVS.
All three of Portugal’s sports dailies mentioned 62-year-old Mourinho as a possible successor.
Mourinho’s previous spell at Benfica lasted just 11 matches at the back end of 2000, but then, after impressing at Uniao de Leiria, he joined Porto and guided them to back-to-back league titles and the Champions League crown in 2004.
That set him on the path to a hugely successful career coaching Chelsea, Inter Milan, and Real Madrid before his fortunes started to nose-dive after joining Manchester United in 2016.
Lage won the Portuguese Primeira Liga in 2019 in his first spell with Benfica, while he guided them to Portuguese Cup success last season.
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