José Mourinho is one step away from a historic achievement in Portugal: leading Benfica to an unbeaten season in the Primeira Liga. However, despite this impressive run, the Portuguese coach is unlikely to lift a trophy in his first season back in his home country after more than 20 years away.
In the latest round, Benfica confirmed their strength by defeating Sporting 2-1, in a dramatic victory secured by a goal from Rafa Silva in the 93rd minute. This win, although satisfying, only secured the red-and-whites second place in the table, surpassing their Lisbon rivals but remaining behind FC Porto.
Porto, managed by former Ajax coach Francesco Farioli, has dominated the league in a commanding fashion, suffering only one defeat all season. The comfortable 2-0 victory over Tondela last Sunday extended their lead to seven points at the top, practically guaranteeing the title.
Despite keeping Benfica unbeaten in the league since replacing Bruno Lage in September, Mourinho has faced a crucial problem: the excessive number of draws. With nine draws in 30 matches, the team has squandered precious points that could have kept their title hopes alive.
After the victory against Sporting, Mourinho did not hide his frustration and realism: “We are happy to have won; we could talk about discontent if Sporting had won. We played an extraordinary game, we move forward. We still depend on the results of others. My frustration in the game against Casa Pia was because we lost the situation of depending on ourselves. I wanted to come here today, play to win, and finish second. We came here to win, we won, but we still depend on Sporting’s results, not forgetting FC Porto, who have a significant advantage.”
Mourinho’s season at Benfica is far from a fairy tale. Defeats to FC Porto and Braga in the national cups, as well as an elimination against Real Madrid in the Champions League – a club where Mourinho has shone in the past – seal a return to the Luz without trophies. The absence of silverware, which was once unthinkable for the 63-year-old coach, has become more frequent in recent years, as demonstrated by his stints at Manchester United, Tottenham, Roma, and Fenerbahçe.
However, the unbeaten campaign that Benfica is about to complete is not unprecedented in the history of Portuguese football. This will be the fifth time a team finishes a Primeira Liga season without losses. FC Porto has achieved this in 2010-11 and 2012-13, while Benfica accomplished this feat twice in the 1970s.
Interestingly, Benfica has experienced a similar situation in 1977-78, when they finished unbeaten but ended up in second place, behind FC Porto, due to goal difference. At that time, a young José Mourinho was just starting his career, playing in the youth ranks of Belenenses and, years later, he would embark on a modest career as a midfielder.
This phenomenon is not exclusive to Portugal. A notable example is the 1978-79 season of the Serie A in Italy, where Perugia finished unbeaten but with 19 draws in 30 matches, placing behind AC Milan. Other notable cases include Galatasaray in 1985-86 and Red Star Belgrade in 2007-08, teams that also failed to win the title despite not losing any games.
Amid all this speculation, Mourinho remains enigmatic about his future, especially in light of persistent rumors regarding a possible return to Real Madrid. When asked about this possibility before the clash with Sporting, the coach was emphatic: “I can’t say, how can I say such a thing? It doesn’t only depend on me! It’s obvious. A coach within a club structure, whether a coach, player, communications director, physiotherapist, all of us in a club structure, like you journalists, cannot guarantee that we will be in the same place in 10 years, even if we want to. Obviously, I can’t guarantee that.”
José Mourinho, the “Special One,” continues to write his story with Benfica, marked by notable achievements and the harsh reality of a return that is not being crowned with titles. The quest for national glory remains fierce, but time is running out for the legendary coach to turn this unbeaten season into a true triumph.
This article first appeared on Apito Final.
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