Mourinho faces his tenth consecutive elimination in the Champions League.

José Mourinho, one of the most iconic figures in world football, is experiencing a dark moment in his career, particularly in the Champions League, where his recent years have been marked by a series of accumulating failures. The recent elimination of Benfica, which adds to a list of disappointments at clubs such as Chelsea, Manchester United, and Tottenham, marks a total of 10 consecutive matches without victories in the knockout stages of the competition. An achievement that undoubtedly shakes the reputation of the “Special One.”

Let us remember that it was on May 22, 2010, that Mourinho celebrated a memorable triumph at the Santiago Bernabéu, winning the Champions League with Inter Milan. On that day, Argentine Diego Milito was the hero, providing him with his second Champions trophy, following the first with FC Porto in 2004. Since then, the scene has become increasingly bleak, with his last victory in knockout stages dating back to 2014, when he eliminated Paris Saint-Germain in the quarter-finals, a memory that seems distant and almost unreal.

The path of failures began in the 2013/14 season when Mourinho saw his Chelsea eliminated in the semi-finals by Atlético Madrid. An initial draw (0-0) at the Vicente Calderón seemed promising, but Atlético dashed hopes by winning 3-1 in the second leg, with goals from Adrián López, Diego Costa, and Arda Turan. Fernando Torres’ goal was not enough to prevent the exit.

In the following season, 2014/15, history repeated itself as Chelsea was eliminated in the round of 16 by PSG, where French coach Laurent Blanc avenged the previous elimination. After a draw in Paris, the match in London also ended 1-1, leading to an exciting extra time where Chelsea, after taking the lead with a goal from Hazard, saw Thiago Silva, now at FC Porto, score the qualifying goal for the French side.

After leaving Chelsea in 2015, Mourinho had another opportunity in the Champions League in 2017/18, this time at the helm of Manchester United. However, fate was cruel once again, as Sevilla eliminated the Red Devils in the round of 16, with Ben Yedder scoring two decisive goals.

Mourinho’s bad luck continued in 2019/20 at Tottenham, where, after a home defeat due to a penalty goal from Timo Werner, the elimination was confirmed in Germany with a heavy 0-3 loss. And now, in charge of Benfica, history has rewritten itself with another elimination, this time against Real Madrid, where the Eagles, after a defeat in Lisbon (0-1), fell again with a 1-2 loss at the Santiago Bernabéu, adding yet another disappointment to his career.

Mourinho, who watched the game in Madrid away from the spotlight due to a suspension, now finds himself at the center of criticism and uncertainty. The discontent among fans is palpable, especially after a shirt request that sparked outrage on social media. The pressure on the coach is mounting, as his glory days in the Champions League seem like a distant memory, almost like an echo of a glorious past.

Mourinho’s future at Benfica and in the lucrative competition is now under scrutiny, with many questioning whether the coach still has the ability to salvage his career and turn around this tide of negative results. The question on everyone’s lips is: will Mourinho be able to regain his status as the “Special One,” or are we witnessing the decline of one of the greatest coaches in football history?