“Unique opportunity for me”
© Imago
For José Mourinho, returning to Benfica Lisbon’s coaching bench is a matter close to the heart after 25 years. This made the 62-year-old clear against Rio Ave FC on Tuesday (9:15 p.m.) before the catch-up game in the Portugal League. “If I had stayed at home until the end of the season, I would have earned more than with Benfica. It is so simple. If I had enjoyed my family, stayed in London, had brought them here, had driven to the Algarve and had done a few excursions, I would have earned more,” said the former world coach of the year.
Just 20 days after his end at Fenerbahce, Mourinho had hired at Benfica. His contract in Istanbul would have run until the coming summer, “The Special One” could have just sitting out. At Benfica, which he had looked after in 2000 as the first stop for a short time after the separation from the then coach Jupp Heynckes, Mourinho signed a contract until 2027. Last Bruno had lost its position after the 2: 3 home blam in the Champions League against Qarabağ Ağdam. Mourinho himself had to go with Fenerbahce after the team had not qualified for the premier class – against Benfica.
“I’m here … it’s not even in vain, it’s a minus. And you ask me why? Because I like to work,” said Mourinho. “I missed playing for what Benfica plays for. To play the title. I couldn’t do that in Rome, nor at Fenerbahce. With the Giallorossi, Mourinho 2021/22 won his last title in the Conference League. At Fenerbahce he scored an average of 2.02 points in 62 games.
“To put myself to the test, to take risks, to win, to lose, to lose, to be very good in one day and to be very bad the next day: these are things that drive me and get me out of my comfort zone. If a lie is repeated often enough, people believe that it is true. In this case there is only one truth: If I had stayed at home by July, I would have earned more than at Benfica,” emphasized Mourinho again, ” to the presidential election in his ex-club, which incumbent Ali Koç lost, reacted with indifference and another top.
After Benfica return: Mourinho with lace against Fenerbahce
“The elections at Fenerbahce pass me. Do not believe that I have some relationship whether it was re -elected or not. I am not happy that he was not re -elected. If he had not been re -elected. I would not have been happy either. It was a short time, with little intensity and little empathy. To be honest, I wish the players who have stayed there, and many of them, not more,”. Mourinho the chapter.
After the successful debut at AVS FUTEBOL (3-0), Benfica could jump to second place with a win against Rio Ave and move up to two points to leader FC Porto, which Mourinho had led to winning the Champions League in 2004. “You have 24 hours more time than we do to prepare for the game. I expect a hard game,” said Mourinho, who again praised the “good work” of his predecessor Bruno Lage. Now it is about incorporating your own ideas.
“We trainers have all different ideas. It is important that the players accept the new ideas with joy and trust. The coach is most suffering, but also those who stay, go through a process that is usually not very pleasant. Therefore I say that we have to keep calm and slowly introduce things. I have no surprises, but I have the feeling that the players do my ideas and my way every day. Of course we are not important for me. From the best friends, we have only been here for four or five days, but I believe that from a human point of view we build something important.