Mourinho’s Unbeaten Benfica Finish Third

Portuguese tactician, José Mourinho, delivered an extraordinary but bittersweet campaign as Benfica completed the Primeira Liga season unbeaten yet ended third.

Benfica signed off with a 3-1 win over Estoril Praia on Sunday, stretching their run to 34 league matches without defeat. The sequence included 23 wins and 11 draws.

Still, the title slipped away. FC Porto claimed the championship with 88 points, while Sporting CP finished second on 82. Benfica ended the campaign on 80.

The outcome marks one of the rarest feats in European football. Benfica have suffered similar heartbreak before, going unbeaten during the 1977-1978 season only to lose the title to Porto on goal difference.

Attention has now turned to Mourinho’s future. The Portuguese manager, who arrived last September on a two-year contract, is reportedly in advanced discussions over a return to Real Madrid. Club president Florentino Pérez is said to be leading talks over a possible reunion.

If completed, the move would take Mourinho back to the Santiago Bernabéu more than a decade after his first spell in charge.

While commenting on his future, Mourinho said, “My future should be decided this week. I have a proposal from Benfica. I don’t have a proposal from Real Madrid. At the same time, I was saying that to hide that there is nothing, we cannot do that, there is something, but not with me directly.

“I need time, I need space, I need time to make my decision and this week I think is going to be very important.”

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