Fabrizio Romano: Former Wolves boss set to be replaced by Jose Mourinho after brutal sacking
Jose Mourinho’s next job in management has been lined up – but it’s at the expense of a former Wolves boss.
Ex-Wolverhampton Wanderers head coach Bruno Lage has been ruthlessly sacked by Benfica after Tuesday night’s unexpected 3-2 defeat to Qarabag in the UEFA Champions League.
Benfica were the heavy favourites to beat Qarabag and even took a two-goal lead, but the away side fought valiantly to turn the game on its head and claim an important three points to kick off the league phase. In doing so, Qarabag became the first-ever Azerbaijani side to win a Champions League main draw match.
Boos and whistles rang out at Estadio da Luz after Lage’s side crumbled and lost a game they should have comfortably won. It wasn’t the first time this month that Benfica fans have been disappointed, either, as the Lisbon club gave up a 1-0 lead against 10-man Santa Clara last week, drawing 1-1 and dropping two vital points in Liga Portugal.
Bruno Lage gets the boot
Benfica have confirmed that Lage has been relieved of his duties and that they are searching for a new head coach. It will feel brutal for the former Wolves manager as last night’s defeat was the first of the season in any competition. Yes, it’s been a frustrating week, but Benfica had to see off both Nice and Fenerbahce in two-legged playoffs to even reach the Champions League.
It was Lage’s second managerial gig following his Wolves departure in 2022. The 49-year-old was sacked by Brazilian club Botafogo after just 15 games before he made the move to Benfica. In Lisbon, Lage managed 66 games and averaged 2.23 points per match. It was his second stint at Benfica as that’s where he called home before joining Wolves.
Jose Mourinho lined up
After being sacked by Fenerbahce, ironically for not making the Champions League’s league phase as a result of losing to Benfica, Jose Mourinho is reportedly in line to make a romantic return to Estadio da Luz, 25 years on from his exit.
Mourinho, who has been named the world’s best club coach on four occasions, is a two-time Champions League winner and a three-time Premier League champion. He’s also won league titles in Italy and Spain. Benfica reckon ‘The Special One’ is the right man to take the club forward, and his availability may have been a reason for Lage’s rather savage sacking.
Fabrizio Romano reports Benfica are in ‘advanced talks’ with Mourinho and the 62-year-old has ‘opened the doors’ to the move. Romano says the agreement could be sealed soon, meaning Mourinho will not be making a return to the Premier League despite recent links.
If Mourinho does take the job, he has quite a challenge to guide Benfica out of the league phase. The loss to Qarabag puts them on the back foot ahead of what can only really be described as the draw of death. In the seven remaining Champions League fixtures, Benfica take on Chelsea, Newcastle United, Bayer Leverkusen, Ajax, Napoli, Juventus and Real Madrid.