Jose Mourinho on his way to Benfica

Jose Mourinho is in talks over a return to Benfica as their new head coach.

The 62-year-old was sacked last month by Fenerbahce after just over a year in charge at the Turkish club, but could be set for a swift return to management at the club he was briefly in charge of between September and December 2000.

The Portuguese is in negotiations to replace ex-Wolves boss Bruno Lage at Benfica after he was sacked following Tuesday’s shock Champions League home defeat to Qarabag of Azerbaijan.

It was Benfica’s first loss of the season after they blew a two-goal lead to lose 3-2 to Qarabag.

Benfica president Rui Costa confirmed Lage had been dismissed in a press conference following the loss.

“I believe this is the time for a change, precisely to avoid compromising the season,” Costa said.

“And, consequently, the coach who comes in must be a winning coach. A coach representing a club of this size must be one with the ability to bring this team to the levels we demand and give us the titles we desire.”

Benfica reached the league phase of the Champions League after knocking out Mourinho’s Fenerbahce in the play-off round, which led to his dismissal at the Turkish giants.

The ex-Manchester United and Tottenham boss could now head back to the Lisbon club, although nothing is confirmed yet.

If a deal is completed, Mourinho would face his former club Chelsea later this month, with Benfica visiting Stamford Bridge on September 30 in the Champions League.

Mourinho first came to prominence at Benfica’s domestic rivals Porto, winning the UEFA Cup in 2003 and the Champions League in 2004.

He joined Chelsea soon after that Champions League success and steered the Blues to Premier League titles in 2005 and 2006, plus the 2015 crown in his second stint in charge.

He was a Champions League winner at Inter Milan in 2010 and, while he was unable to restore Man United to greatness, he did guide them to Europa League and League Cup success in 2017.

His time at Tottenham ended without a trophy; though he was sacked days before the team were due to take on Manchester City in the 2021 League Cup final.

He was a Conference League winner at Roma in 2022 before taking charge at Fenerbahce in the summer of 2024.

Sky Sports