Jose Mourinho reveals what job he expected instead of Benfica

Jose Mourinho arrived in Portugal on Wednesday night ahead of his move to Benfica (Now Direto)

Jose Mourinho insists he did not plan on joining Benfica and expected to return to Portugal in order to coach the national side.

Benfica have moved quickly to appoint Mourinho as their new head coach after deciding to sack Bruno Lage in the aftermath of the team’s 3-2 defeat at home to Qarabag in the Champion League on Tuesday evening.

Mourinho arrived in Portugal on Wednesday evening and after being surrounded by Portuguese media, the former Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham manager admitted he could not turn down Benfica’s offer.

The 62-year-old began his managerial career at Benfica in 2000 but resigned after nine league games due to a disagreement with the club’s then-president Manuel Vilarinho.

‘Before I got on the plane, they asked me if I might be interested. I said yes, I might be interested,’ Mourinho said.

‘Benfica officially asked me if I would be interested and said that when I returned to Portugal, I would be happy to speak with people. If I return to Benfica, it won’t be a career celebration, nor 25 years later, nor a return home.

Benfica sacked Bruno Lage after the team’s defeat to Qarabag in the Champions League (AFP via Getty)

‘I left my previous club four weeks ago. If you ask me if I expected to stay until the end of the season without coaching, that’s not in my nature. I wanted to join.

‘I didn’t want to say yes to a club that wasn’t the right one, just because I’m a workaholic. When I was faced with the possibility of coaching Benfica, I didn’t think twice about it.’

Asked about Benfica’s decision to sack Lage, Mourinho said: ‘I know how you feel, I know what you’re feeling. You need to grieve. No coach leaves happy, thinking things could have been different.

‘I look at him with immense respect, as I went through the same thing not long ago. What I said about him a month ago, I repeat – he’s a great coach who had an important group, whom I congratulated. And I’m not a model of fair play. It wasn’t easy to say they deserved to win.

Jose Mourinho believed his next job in Portugal would be to coach the national team (Getty)

‘For Bruno, I have nothing but respect and the best for his career. He knows that my return to Portugal, which wasn’t planned, but that what was in my mind as a natural consequence for my career would be to return to Portugal one day to coach the national team.

‘If this happens with Benfica… who is the coach who says no to Benfica? Not me.’

Mourinho was also asked about comments from Fenerbahce president, Ali Koc, who described his move to Benfica as ‘a strange coincidence of life’.

Fenerbahce sacked Mourinho after they were beaten by Benfica in their Champions League play-off tie last month.

‘Whenever I left clubs, I closed the door, I didn’t respond to provocations, nor did I look for excuses,’ Mourinho said.

‘He has a different way of acting than I do. Since I left, he has spoken countless times and has not justified why the player [Kerem Akturkoglu] who eliminated us was bought only after he had eliminated us.’

For more stories like this, check our sport page.

Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Comments