Jose Mourinho future 'not an issue' for Benfica as president as coach insists he's 'in charge' of decision

Benfica have emphatically denied that their current head coach is facing an imminent departure. The veteran tactician, who boasts a glittering CV including three English titles and two Champions League triumphs, saw his position questioned following a frustrating 1-1 draw against Casa Pia that leaves his side in third place, despite remaining unbeaten in the league this season. Speaking after a parliamentary audience, club president Rui Costa shut down the rumours completely. Costa declared: "Jose Mourinho has a contract for another year, it is not an issue at this moment." He also highlighted the strong internal unity, adding: "We are in sync."

The noise surrounding Mourinho was amplified by reports suggesting his agent, Jorge Mendes, advised him to resign. However, the former Real Madrid and Chelsea boss used a recent press conference to personally dismiss these claims. The 63-year-old, who has overseen 39 matches during his current stint - recording 23 victories and eight draws - made it unequivocally clear that he dictates his own career path. He stated: "If something happened during the game, I don't know. Nothing happened before the game. Jorge Mendes is my agent, but I am in charge of my own decision. My decision is that I would like to continue at Benfica."

Despite the unified front off the pitch, Benfica find themselves struggling domestically. The club are currently third in the Liga Portugal table on 66 points after 28 matches. They trail leaders Porto by seven points and sit two points behind Sporting CP, who possess a crucial game in hand. The manager conceded that their silverware objectives have shifted significantly. Addressing the league standings, he explained: "At the sporting level, the achievable goal is to finish in second place, depending on other results. We don't depend on ourselves. Even winning all the games, we don't depend solely on ourselves. Sporting would have to lose another two points. It's still possible, and Sporting might even draw. Okay, we didn't lose [against Casa Pia], but I don't think a draw like this ennobles Benfica in any way or the career of any of us."

With his contract running until June 2027, Mourinho must now rebuild. Benfica host Nacional on April 12, before a monumental clash against Sporting on April 19 that could define their second-place ambitions. The manager will use these final six league fixtures to evaluate which players fit his long-term vision.