Jose Mourinho not interested in staying at Benfica and has his eye on Portugal national team job, says presidential candidate

The return of Mourinho to Benfica, 25 years after his brief debut stint, was seen as a monumental reunion between the club and one of Portugal’s greatest football minds. Appointed to replace Bruno Lage just over a month ago, Mourinho signed a two-year deal and immediately brought structure and belief back to the dressing room. But according to presidential candidate Manteigas, the 62-year-old coach’s heart might already be set elsewhere.

Manteigas described Mourinho as a “winner capable of making Benfica champions this year,” but one who lacks long-term commitment to the club. “He’s not a coach with a future here,” Manteigas told Portuguese media, suggesting the veteran tactician is eyeing the Portugal national team job, a role he has long been linked with. “Everyone in football knows Mourinho wants to be the national team coach,” he added.

As the presidential race intensifies at Benfica, Manteigas offered a candid take on Mourinho’s appointment. While acknowledging the manager’s pedigree and winning mentality, Manteigas made it clear that he believes the Portuguese's stay at the club will be short-lived.

"Mourinho is a winning coach. If there's anyone capable of making Benfica champions this year, it's José Mourinho. He's such an experienced and successful coach that he'll be able to overcome obstacles faster than any other coach we'd want to bring into a project that isn't his," said Manteigas.

"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? 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 Proença to discuss a possible appointment to the national team?"

The speculation around Mourinho’s ambitions isn’t new. Even during his unveiling at Benfica, the manager admitted he always believed his return to Portugal would come through the national team rather than a club job. “I always thought I’d come back to the national team. I was thinking one day it will 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.

Manteigas’s claim aligns with these comments, noting Mourinho’s contractual clause allowing either party to terminate the deal after this season with compensation. With Roberto Martínez’s future dependent on Portugal’s World Cup performance, Mourinho could be positioning himself for the next chapter.

"If Mourinho had been interested in staying, he wouldn't have signed for one season, with this one-year clause, depending on whether one of the parties wants it or not. All contracts have timings. Therefore, I'm going to sit down with him and find out his terms, but I'll give him everything he needs to win this year," Manteigas said.

Mourinho’s uncertain future adds another layer of intrigue to Benfica’s already charged presidential race, scheduled for October 25. The contest pits incumbent Rui Costa, the current president and the man who brought Mourinho back, against former challenger Joao Noronha Lopes, ex-president Luis Filipe Vieira, and candidates like Manteigas, Martim Mayer, and Cristovao Carvalho.

Costa is running on a platform of stability and continuity, using Mourinho’s appointment as proof of progress, while Lopes promotes modernisation and fan engagement. Manteigas, however, is positioning himself as the candidate of honesty, arguing that Benfica must plan beyond Mourinho’s short-term stay and prepare for sustainable growth.