Jose Mourinho cites Scott McTominay and Raphael Varane as proof of his 'history' with young stars as Benfica boss targets January signings to boost Liga Portugal title hopes

After being dismissed by Fenerbahce following their failure to qualify for this season’s Champions League 'league phase', Mourinho made an immediate return to management by taking charge of Benfica – the club where his managerial journey began back in 2000. His return to Estadio da Luz hasn't been spectacular so far. The Eagles have lost the two Champions League games that Mourinho has overseen since coming back; a 1-0 loss to former club Chelsea followed by a 3-0 defeat to Newcastle United means that Benfica have faced three successive defeats in Europe's premier club competition, jeopardising their chances of qualifying for the knockouts. 

However, Mourinho is yet to taste defeat domestically. He has won two games and drawn as many in the Liga Portugal, complemented by the 2-0 win over Chaves in the third round of the Taca de Portugal. 

Following Benfica's 0-0 draw against Porto, Mourinho claimed that a few players in the squad are "suffering from low confidence." "Right now, the team is suffering from low confidence," he said following the stalemate earlier this month. "I found three, four, five players with a self-esteem crisis. It's one thing to need tactical concentration, another to need inspiration for something more. I told the players that on the bench I felt what they felt on the field: we want to win, but we can't lose."  

Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Mourinho lamented the fact that he couldn't get to work with Akturkoglu, one of the best players in the Portuguese top-flight last season. The 27-year-old Turkish attacking midfielder swapped Benfica, the club Mourinho now manages, for Fenerbahce, the club Mourinho was sacked by shortly before his return to Portugal. 

"I liked Benfica’s squad so much that I wanted to take one of their most important players," he said. "And I did everything I could to sign that key player. Perhaps one of the reasons I left Fenerbahce so early was precisely due to the frustration of not being able to bring in the Benfica player I considered fundamental to my way of thinking about the game. And it’s with great regret that, indirectly, I ended up contributing to Benfica’s squad being different. My fault. I did everything possible to have that player with me. In the end, I didn’t have him – neither at Fenerbahce nor at Benfica."      

The Portuguese manager publicly voiced his requests to Benfica, urging the club to invest in the upcoming winter transfer window in a bid to not only strengthen the squad, but also their hopes of winning the Liga Portugal.

"It’s true that I like Benfica’s squad and many things about the club," he said. "It’s also true that you know me – my characteristics as a coach and as a communicator. Obviously, when facing Benfica, I also wanted to take a bit of pressure off my side and put a bit more on Benfica, including in terms of history, tradition, stature, and familiarity with Champions League matches.

"But it’s also true that I believe – and so does the structure working with me at Benfica, as well as the candidates and the fans – that we are missing something. And that “something” isn’t 10, 15, or even five players, because sometimes all it takes is one player of a specific profile, or one who brings more experience, or has qualities others don’t. Often, just one or two players are enough to improve a team and its whole dynamic. 

"In January, Benfica will surely add one or two players who can help strengthen the squad. If there’s someone who likes to promote young players, I’m one of them. If there’s someone who has a history of working with players like Varane at 18, McTominay at 18, [Petr] Cech at 18 – then that’s me. In our current squad, we have this type of young players; some will reach great heights, others perhaps not as much. There’s no contradiction in that.

"I’m optimistic that, domestically, we’ll stay close to our rivals until January. Perhaps even ahead of them. Who knows? But we’ll be right there fighting for the title. And I’m absolutely convinced that once we get our first three points in the Champions League, hopefully against Bayer Leverkusen, but we also have Ajax, we’ll put ourselves in contention and fight until the end for qualification."  

Joao Diogo Manteigas, one of the presidential candidates ahead of the club's upcoming elections, claimed earlier this month that Mourinho had his sights set on the Portugal national team coaching job. "Mourinho isn't going to stay at Benfica for two, three, or four years. Who doesn't know that Mourinho wants to be the national team coach?" Manteigas conceded. "Who doesn't know in the industry? The other candidates may not know, but those who work in the industry, who doesn't know that Mourinho spoke with Pedro Proenca to discuss a possible appointment to the national team?"   

Roberto Martinez, the current coach of the Portuguese senior side, is tied to the job until the 2026 World Cup. Although he fired Cristiano Ronaldo and Co. to Nations League glory over the summer, failure to land the biggest prize of them all next year could see the Portuguese Football Federation opt against renewing the former Everton and Belgium national team manager's contract. Such a scenario could open the doors for Mourinho to take over the reins of Portugal. 

“I always thought I’d come back to the national team. I was thinking that one day it would happen. I think it’s a natural consequence of my career,” Mourinho said after Benfica’s 3–0 victory over AVS in his first game back in charge last month.