Benfica negotiating with Mourinho to be new coach / Photo: © AFP/File
-
Thames Water seeks to delay £12bn in debt repayments
-
Nottinghamshire launches specialist rural crime policing team
-
Newark boxing gym expands alternative education programme
-
China confirms talks over possible Xi-Putin-Trump summit
-
Democrats consider impeachment drive against Defence Secretary Hegseth
-
Rail journey offers a slower route to a Berlin city break
-
Energy bill plan could use HMRC income data to target support
-
Arsenal control title race as Manchester United fall into bottom three
-
Business owner earning £6,000 a month tackles £70,000 debt
-
Suspected Krakow gunman dies after attack that killed six
-
Nvidia chief faces inquiry after disclosing affair with suspected Chinese agent
-
Carrick backs Dalot after hostile reception from Manchester United fans
-
Comet returns as online electrical marketplace 14 years after collapse
-
Retired Man Loses Money on Holiday Home as Market Stalls
-
Aston Villa Defy History With Rare Victory at Old Trafford
-
Govt to Accept ECMS Applications on Rolling Basis from July 2027
-
Democrats Face Criticism Over Social Security Reform Plans Amid Trust Fund Crisis
-
Opti Digital Launches NEXA, an AI-Powered Intelligence Layer
-
Stabbing Reported at Jamie Foxx’s Annual Halloween Party in Thousand Oaks
-
Nick Harkaway Expands John le Carré’s Spy Universe in 'The Taper Man'
-
Binance CFO Kaiser Ng Departs Amid Aftermath of $6.3 Billion Hack
Benfica negotiating with Mourinho to be new coach
Benfica on Thursday confirmed that they were in talks to hire Jose Mourinho as their new coach, a day after the Portuguese boss admitted he was interested in the job.
"Negotiations are ongoing to hire the coach Jose Mario dos Santos Mourinho Felix, with the hope that these will soon be concluded," the club said in a statement to Portugal's stock exchange authority.
Benfica's interest in Mourinho emerged on Wednesday after the club sacked Bruno Lage following Tuesday night's shock Champions League defeat at home to minnows Qarabag.
"Benfica officially asked me if I was interested... What coach says no to Benfica? Not me," Mourinho had told reporters after landing in Lisbon on Wednesday.
"When I was presented with the opportunity to coach Benfica, I didn't hesitate to say that I'm interested."
Two-time European champions Benfica led 2-0 early on at home to Azerbaijan's Qarabag before collapsing to a 3-2 defeat in a disastrous start to their league-phase campaign.
Mourinho, 62, was himself sacked last month by Fenerbahce after the Turkish giants lost to Benfica in the Champions League qualifying phase.
After starting out his coaching career as an assistant to Bobby Robson and then Louis van Gaal at Barcelona, Mourinho made the step up to head coach at Benfica in September 2000.
However, he quit after just 11 matches and then, after impressing at Uniao de Leiria, he joined the Eagles fierce rivals 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.
More modest stints then followed at Tottenham, Roma and Fenerbahce.
O.Bulka--BTB
