21 years ago, Jose Mourinho branded himself the ‘Special One’ during a press conference after becoming Chelsea manager for the first time. Two decades on, though, he has changed ‘for the better’.
Mourinho, 62, was unveiled as the new Benfica manager on Thursday, as he signs a two-year contract at the club where he started his managerial career in 2000.
The Portuguese coach has been a free agent since being sacked by Fenerbahce last month following their failure to qualify for the Champions League, before he opted to take over from Bruno Lage at the Lisbon-based club.
In stark contrast to his famous first statement as Blues boss in 2004, Mourinho admitted that he is ‘less egocentric’ than he was during the early years of his career. These days, he is only focused on bettering Benfica’s players and the club as a whole.
‘I am not important,’ Mourinho said during his unveiling. ‘We all change, and we change for the better.
‘I am more altruistic and I’m less egocentric now, I think less about myself and more about what good I can do for others, the joy that I can bring to others.
Jose Mourinho believes he is a changed man after embarking on his 12th stint in management
The now Benfica boss called himself the ‘Special One’ at Chelsea in 2004, but says he is ‘less egocentric’ these days
‘I am not important, Benfica is important. The Benfica fans are important. They are the heart of the club, but at Benfica, even more in a way. The players are important. I am here to serve.’
Mourinho is now entering the 12th stint of his managerial career, in which he has managed 10 clubs.
His career in the dugout has been laden with silverware. Mourinho has won the Champions League with Porto, two Premier League titles in his first stint at Chelsea, and further trophies with Inter Milan, Real Madrid, Manchester United, and Roma before his most recent spell at Fenerbahce.
But Mourinho is not done yet, far from it. The new Benfica boss had a defiant message for those deeming him past his best.
He continued: ‘I am at a point in my life I would describe as one of great maturity, where I can objectively say, if anyone is expecting me to end my career in four or five years’ time, they are mistaken.
‘I will be the one to decide when to end my career, and I will end it when I don’t feel the same passion as I feel today. The president (Rui Costa) knows that is true.
‘I wanted to be here last night. I wanted to be here working, I wanted to meet with the analysts and assistants, but I could only come today around midday.
‘So, I will only finish when I feel like something has changed. And today I feel like the thing that has changed is that I’m more hungry, in quotation marks, with all due respect for the essence of the world, than I was 25 years ago.
Mourinho, 62, has penned a two-year deal but an exit clause in his contract suggests he could leave after just one season
Mourinho said people ‘are mistaken’ if they think he is close to retiring after his failure at Fenerbahce
Benfica confirmed the appointment of Mourinho in a statement to the country’s Securities Market Commission, revealing they had reached an agreement with Mourinho to sign ‘a sports employment contract to be valid until the end of the 2026-27 sports season’.
However, an exit clause in the former Chelsea manager’s contract suggests that he may not see the start of next season.
A report by Portuguese media outlet Record has disclosed that ‘either party can terminate the contract’ during the initial 10-day period after the end of the current season.
If the renewed partnership does not go to plan and they decide to part ways during that period, Benfica would pay ‘significantly lower costs’ when terminating Mourinho’s deal at the club.
The compensation fee to dismiss Mourinho would be markedly lower in comparison to if they waited until after the conclusion of the season.
The clause also encompasses the scenario in which Mourinho opts to resign from his position. If that’s the direction he takes, it is believed that he would have to pay the ‘equivalent amount’ to the club.
