Benfica approached Jose Mourinho - and he said not yet

Jose Mourinho has turned down the chance to make a return to the Estadio da Luz.

Benfica are looking for a new manager after the dismissal of Rui Vitoria in the wake of a shock 2-0 defeat to Portimonense.

And it is thought that club president Luis Filipe Vieira would like to find a replacement sooner rather than later. 

Bruno Lage is currently the man in temporary charge, and will be on the touchline to oversee Benfica's clash with Rio Ave this Sunday.

But Vieira is already searching for Vitoria's successors and, according to Portuguese outlet Record, it was Jose Mourinho who was initially approached by the Lisbon club to lead them into their next chapter in history.

Mourinho, however, turned down the opportunity, citing that a return to Portugal is not currently part of his plans.

However, Portuguese paper A Bola have since revealed that Mourinho has not ruled out the possibility of returning to Benfica as soon as the beginning of next season, with the ambitions and aspirations of what president Vieira wants to achieve at the club central to any decision he would take to join the club.

Mourinho would certainly fit the bill as the Marquee appointment Vieira is hoping for, with his reputation remaining high in his home country. 

Author: Дмитрий Голубович . License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en.