Jose Mourinho admits he didn't expect to take Benfica job on return to homeland as Special One outlines ambitions to manage Portugal national team

Mourinho, who started his managerial career at Benfica in 2000 but departed after just 10 games following a falling out with the club’s president, made a dream return in Saturday’s 3-0 league victory over AVS. The 62-year-old replaced Bruno Lage at the Benfica helm after his compatriot was dismissed following their surprise defeat against Qarabag in the Champions League on Tuesday.

And while Mourinho is delighted to be back at Benfica, he admits he thought it would be the Portugal job - a role he claims he has turned down in the past - which saw him return home following a trophy-laden career in club football.

Speaking after Benfica’s victory over AVS at the weekend, Mourinho told Sky Sports News: "I’m honest, I always thought I would be back to Portugal. But I always thought I would come back to the national team. I knew that the national team would come sooner or later. It come before, I didn’t, I couldn’t accept. I was thinking one day it will happen. I think it is a natural consequence of my career. [But] it happened to be Benfica. A giant club."

Mourinho’s appointment at Benfica saw him return to management less than a month after he was dismissed by Fenerbahce following their Champions League play-offs defeat against Benfica. He has since admitted that managing the Super Lig side was a "mistake".

Mourinho is set to make an emotional return to the Estadio da Luz when Benfica entertain Rio Ave in the Primeira Liga on Tuesday. He will head to another old stomping ground when Benfica travel to his former club Chelsea in the Champions League on September 30.