What Serie A Teams Would Jose Mourinho Face As Benfica Boss In The UCL?
With Jose Mourinho closing in on a return to Benfica, what Serie A clubs would the Portuguese boss face in the Champions League? Inter’s 2010 treble-winning boss is in advanced discussions to return to his native country and replace the recently sacked Bruno Lage. Mourinho also had a stint in Italy with Roma between 2021-2024. […]
Ben Horlock
Updated on 17 September 2025
With Jose Mourinho closing in on a return to Benfica, what Serie A clubs would the Portuguese boss face in the Champions League?
Inter’s 2010 treble-winning boss is in advanced discussions to return to his native country and replace the recently sacked Bruno Lage.
Mourinho also had a stint in Italy with Roma between 2021-2024. During his time in the capital, Mourinho won the UEFA Conference League.
?? BREAKING: Benfica are in advanced talks with José Mourinho after Bruno Lage got sacked overnight! ❤️?
Understand Mourinho has opened doors to Benfica move as he wants to return to coaching immediately.
The agreement could be sealed soon. ? pic.twitter.com/RL8eZmn5BY
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 17, 2025
Will Jose Mourinho Manage Benfica?
After leaving Fenerbahce in August, a Serie A return for Jose Mourinho had been mooted. However, a third stint in Italy will be put on ice for the time being.
According to Fabrizio Romano, the self-proclaimed ‘Special One‘ will be making a return to Portugal with Benfica. Interestingly, that was his first managerial role in 2000.
He was hired in the September of that year and left by December. In total, he oversaw 11 games in all competitions which brought about six victories.
As it stands, a return to the Estadio da Luz is very much on the cards a quarter of a century after he first took charge of the Portuguese giants.
Jose Mourinho’s Inter And Roma Record
It’s no secret that Jose Mourinho is very well traveled. The 62-year-old boss has enjoyed unparalleled success in a number of Europe’s top leagues.
Of course, that includes Italy. Mourinho won a historic treble in 2010 whilst in charge of Inter. He is the only manager to achieve such a feat for the Nerazzurri in the modern age.
However, after beating Bayern in the UCL final, he promptly left to take over at Real Madrid. Although he hasn’t replicated that exact feat since, Mourinho also brought success to Roma.
In the 2021-2022 season, Mourinho led the Giallorossi to Conference League success. That was the Serie A side’s first piece of major silverware since the Coppa Italia in 2008.
What Serie A Teams Would Jose Mourinho Face In The UCL?
Interestingly, Jose Mourinho could be managing in the UCL again this season. Fenerbahce actually lost the play-off to Benfica, who Mourinho is set to take over.
Therefore, he would face two sides from Italy’s Serie A in the group stage. The first would come against Napoli in Naples on 10 December.
The penultimate league phase fixture sees the Portuguese side travel to Turin to take on Juventus. That game is penciled in for 21 January.
A reunion with Inter is also a possibility. However, that would only occur in the knockout stages. Should both clubs get there, of course.
Ben Horlock
Ben has a long standing devotion to Italian soccer and in particular, Serie A. Ben grew up watching legendary presenter James Richardson deliver the latest news and views with the daily papers and breakfast in hand. Not only does Ben follow Italy's top soccer division, he is an avid follower of all the major European leagues. Ben is an expert on all things Serie A and has produced a number of features and news articles for FootItalia as well as UK-based outlets such as HITC, 90min, GiveMeSport and Betfair. In the US, Ben has been published on ESPN and Sports Illustrated.
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