'We've met a few times' - Rafa Benitez discusses relationship with rival Jose Mourinho amid 'part-excitement' at Special One joining Benfica

Mourinho, now 62, is back where his managerial journey truly began. After his short and unsuccessful stint at Fenerbahce, cut short by a painful Champions League qualifying defeat to none other than Benfica, the ‘Special One’ has returned to Portugal with a point to prove. He has signed up to steer Benfica until at least 2027, but the Portuguese giant will demand results and trophies.

When asked about Mourinho’s homecoming, Benitez could not hide his "part excitement" as revealed to The Telegraph. Pressed on whether the animosity has softened over the years, Benitez made it clear the rivalry may have mellowed, but it never truly faded.

“We’ve met a few times with Uefa meetings and it is OK, but nothing like that. We’ve never spoken about those games," he said. 

From ghost goals to penalty shootouts, Liverpool versus Chelsea in the mid-2000s defined European nights. And central to it all were Benitez and Mourinho, locked in an unrelenting battle of wits.

Mourinho’s competitive fire shows no sign of dimming. At 62, he remains desperate to win, desperate to prove himself, desperate to silence doubters who claim the modern game has passed him by. Benfica offers both a platform and a risk: he has history with the club, but expectations will be sky-high.

Mourinho's first assignment comes this Saturday against AVS, a relatively modest curtain-raiser. But it is the looming trip to Stamford Bridge on September 30 that is already drawing all the headlines. A Champions League clash against his old flame Chelsea, in front of a fanbase that still sings his name, could define the early days of his Benfica reign.