José Mourinho closes the circle at Benfica: a return, a betrayal, and another dream in Portugal.

José Mourinho has only been unemployed for a couple of days. Just a few weeks ago, the news broke: the Portuguese coach and Turkish side Fenerbahçe were parting ways . Now, a short time later, he's back in a top-flight position to coach: Benfica . The Eagles ' ridiculous performance against Qarabag in the Champions League opener led to the immediate dismissal of Bruno Lage , a position that has become a footballing legend for a coach.

Mourinho's career is well-known, with one truly impressive statistic: he has lifted 26 titles, won all three continental trophies, and has never finished higher than sixth in the league . But it's no less true that, for some time now, the Portuguese has been straying from the most prestigious successes , so the opportunity to join Benfica is the best possible way to revitalize his career. He's returning home... and to the team where it all began .

Not many people know that Mourinho's coaching career began at the Estádio da Luz. He worked under Bobby Robson and Louis van Gaal at Barcelona , ​​where he was part of the coaching staff, although many dismissively referred to him as a translator. But when Lorenzo Serra Ferrer arrived at the Barça dugout, he decided to dispense with his services. That was when he decided to become a coach, and the opportunity came at Benfica .

He signed for the Portuguese side after the fourth round of the season, when the Eagles terminated Jupp Heynckes ' contract. But just nine rounds later, he decided to leave the club. The reason? The new president's refusal to extend his contract for another year . It was a brief spell at Benfica, but it was the first of his career. From there, he moved to Union Leiria and, in 2020, the real breakthrough of his career: Porto... Benfica's eternal rival .

At Porto, he made history, leading the team to two league titles, the UEFA Cup, and, above all, the Champions League . A great coach had just been born: not only was he intelligent, innovative, and fun to watch, but he was also irreverent in press conferences and displayed an irrepressible character. This was when he took off, with Chelsea, Inter Milan, and Real Madrid as his top destinations . He revived old glories with Manchester United and Roma, winning titles, albeit of lesser significance.

A Europa League and a Conference League were his greatest successes, far from the eight league titles or two Champions Leagues he had achieved in previous years . 2015 was the year of his last major title, a Premier League title with Chelsea; since then, the victories have continued, but with lesser significance. Until he arrived at Fenerbahçe , then, with the Turkish club, he repeated the same path as at Tottenham , ending his spell without success. And it was time to return to square one.

It's his return to Benfica and to his home, Portugal, as he returns to the dugout of a historic club, where he'll try to fight for major titles once again. His greatest dream is to return to the elite and fight for great success, something he's been away from for too long. But it's also a betrayal: one of the most beloved coaches in Porto's history takes over the dugout of eternal rival Benfica, something similar to when he signed for Real Madrid.

He'll try to make headlines again with the team's sporting successes, and he's doing so by coming full circle: returning to coach the team that gave him his coaching start . Mourinho returns home, to Portugal and the Champions League, as well as to the first team he coached and the eternal rival of the club that made him a coaching legend. A new opportunity for The Special One to be happy and enjoy football .