JOSE MOURINHO could be sacked by Benfica at the end of the season despite penning a two-year deal.
The veteran boss, 62, returned to the Lisbon side 25 years after resigning from his post at Estadio da Luz.
EPAJose Mourinho was unveiled by Benfica president Rui Costa[/caption]
AFPMourinho, 62, has penned a two-year contract at Benfica[/caption]
Mourinho has made a swift return to management, having only been sacked by Fenerbahce in August.
But his Benfica comeback may a short-lived one.
The former Manchester United, Tottenham and Chelsea boss was presented as the Portuguese giants’ new boss by club president Rui Costa.
Mourinho’s new boss may not be in his post for much longer, however, with Benfica’s presidential election taking place next month.
Asked at Mourinho’s unveiling whether he is an “electoral asset”, Costa said: “I’m here as president of Benfica, I’m choosing a coach for Benfica. It confuses me that these terms are used.
“Our obligation is the future of the club, and not thinking about elections would mean leaving the club without a coach until the elections.
“Mourinho is Benfica’s coach because we believe he has all the credentials to lead a club like ours. We felt we had to change the coaching staff, and he needed a coach capable of managing a club of this size.”
On the terms of Mourinho’s deal, Costa added: “There’s a clause at the end of the season that leaves the club the option of continuing with the coach or not.
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GettyMourinho previously managed Benfica in 2000[/caption]
“We’re hiring a coach for Benfica who’s not indifferent at the global level; he’s one of the most highly regarded names in the world. We’re securing Benfica’s future with an excellent coach.”
Accepting that a manager’s shelf life is not what it used to be, Costa said: “I’m grateful to the coaches who worked with me over these four years, but that’s life in football. In Latin American countries, you don’t always get to have coaches for the long term.
“(Roger) Schmidt was a champion but didn’t have the success we hoped for, (Bruno) Lage started after the season had already started…
“I try to provide this continuity to the coaches until we understand that something needs to change. These are things that are part of football.”
On his new deal, Mourinho said: “It’s a contract with a strong sense of ethics. I just signed it, I didn’t draft it.
“I only sign what I like, but the club has enormous respect for the elections and for the members who will run for president. I was touched by the fact that the contract was guided by these ethics.
“The day after the elections, I will be Benfica’s coach, but the presence of this ethical aspect provides an ease that wouldn’t otherwise exist.
“I want to work at Benfica, but I want people to be on the same page as me. I want to complete the two-year contract successfully, so that the club will then want to renew it with me.”
‘A MISTAKE’
Mourinho, who arrived at his unveiling in a flashy Ferrari, also admitted that he made “a mistake” going to Fenerbahce.
He said: “My career has been rich, I’ve coached in different countries, I made the wrong choice, but I have no regrets.
“But I’m aware of what we did well or poorly. I made a mistake going to Fenerbahce, but I gave everything until the last day. Coaching Benfica is returning to my level.”
Mourinho’s first game in charge will come against AVS this Saturday.
Later this month he will return to Stamford Bridge, as his new side face Chelsea in the Champions League on September 30.
APMourinho spoke to the press alongside Costa[/caption] Creator – [#item_custom_dc:creator]
