Portuguese media saw José Mourinho's return to Benfica at Estadio da Luz on Tuesday evening end in disappointment for the high-profile coach. The Portuguese manager saw his team give away a lead in stoppage time against Rio Ave.
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The honeymoon ended early, wrote A Bola about the renewed partnership between José Mourinho and Benfica, the club where he first stood on his own as head coach back in 2000.
The long-awaited return of the Portuguese manager to Estadio da Luz on Tuesday night ended in disappointment, as Benfica could not hold on to a late lead and were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw against Rio Ave. For a man whose reputation has been built on discipline, defensive solidity, and ruthless game management, it was a frustrating evening and a reminder that Mourinho faces significant challenges in this second spell in Lisbon.
Mourinho’s comeback to Benfica had been the subject of huge anticipation across Portugal. His unveiling earlier this month drew massive attention, and the veteran coach seemed to embrace the spotlight once again. His opening press conferences were filled with charisma and determination, and his words resonated with a fan base eager to believe in a new era. Supporters welcomed him as if nothing had changed since he first emerged as a promising manager at the start of the century, long before his European triumphs with Porto, Chelsea, Inter, and Real Madrid. For many, this was not just another managerial appointment; it was a nostalgic homecoming, a circle completed.
Yet football rarely follows a romantic script. Against Rio Ave, the match offered very little of the energy and excitement that had surrounded Mourinho’s presentation. The first half, as A Bola described, was dreary, devoid of invention and clear chances. Benfica looked nervous, struggling to find rhythm against an opponent who defended compactly and showed no fear of the occasion. The home crowd grew restless, and even Mourinho’s constant pacing along the touchline could not spark the kind of reaction he was hoping for.
When Benfica finally broke the deadlock in the 86th minute, it seemed like Mourinho would escape with a hard-fought victory that could be spun as a demonstration of his trademark pragmatism. But in stoppage time, Rio Ave equalized, punishing defensive lapses that highlighted the very issues Mourinho is expected to fix. The final whistle was met with frustration rather than celebration, as supporters realized that the grand return of their legendary coach had begun with dropped points.
A Bola was blunt in its assessment. "It is difficult to predict the future, but it is easy to remember the past, and the José Mourinho of old would not have allowed Rio Ave to equalize after Benfica took the lead in the 86th minute," the paper wrote. The criticism cut deep, suggesting that Mourinho’s aura of invincibility in Portugal has already been tested. The sports daily also noted that Benfica’s problems are structural. "The squad is unbalanced. Especially in attack, the lack of creativity is obvious even after spending more than one hundred million euros." Such remarks underline the broader debate around Benfica’s recruitment strategy and whether Mourinho truly has the tools required to compete at the highest level.
Record, another leading sports newspaper, offered a different angle, focusing on Mourinho’s behavior and presence rather than just the result. According to the paper, the 61-year-old coach appeared unchanged since his departure from Portugal in 2004, when he left Porto after winning the Champions League. "In the stands, Mourinho was the main talking point, and there was loud applause when his name was announced before the match," Record wrote. "He still behaves the same way as more than twenty years ago: always standing, observing and coaching, and showing his displeasure to the fourth official."
This duality the nostalgic excitement of having Mourinho back and the harsh reality of a poor result captures the complexity of his second spell at Benfica. On the one hand, he remains a magnetic figure, capable of commanding attention and galvanizing crowds with his mere presence. On the other, results will dictate the narrative, and a 1-1 draw at home to Rio Ave is hardly the fairytale start the fans had envisioned.
The pressure will only intensify with a crucial fixture looming on the horizon. In about a week and a half, Benfica face their arch-rivals FC Porto in the first major Clássico of the season. Under the guidance of Francesco Farioli, Porto have made a perfect start to the campaign, winning all six of their matches and sitting comfortably at the top of the table. Benfica, already four points adrift in third place, cannot afford further slip-ups if they wish to keep pace in the title race. For Mourinho, this game could define the early perception of his tenure. Victory would reignite belief and silence critics, while defeat would raise serious questions about whether his return to Portugal will live up to the hype.
Beyond the immediate sporting stakes, the symbolism of Mourinho facing Porto again cannot be overstated. It was at Porto that he built his reputation, delivering the 2003 UEFA Cup and the 2004 Champions League before embarking on a glittering career across Europe. Now, twenty-one years later, he is preparing to stand on the opposite side of the rivalry, tasked with dismantling the very institution that launched his legend. For fans and pundits alike, the encounter promises not only drama but also a sense of historical weight.
As for Benfica’s current situation, the 1-1 draw with Rio Ave has highlighted problems that cannot be ignored. Despite heavy investment in the transfer market, the team lacks balance and imagination, particularly in the attacking third. Supporters are already debating whether Mourinho’s pragmatic style is the right fit for a squad that appears to need both structural reinforcement and tactical clarity. The coach himself has called for patience, but as history shows, patience is often in short supply at a club of Benfica’s stature.
Ultimately, Mourinho’s return has rekindled excitement, but it has also raised expectations sky-high. For now, his second spell at Benfica begins not with triumph, but with a warning: the margin for error is slim, and the aura of the "Special One" will only carry him so far. The Clássico against Porto may come too early in his project, yet it will inevitably serve as a litmus test. In Portugal, where football narratives are shaped as much by emotion as by results, Mourinho must quickly turn nostalgia into victories or risk seeing his dream reunion turn into a restless marriage.
