Mourinho firmly denies return rumors

Following Fenerbahçe's 2-0 victory in a friendly match against Uniao de Leiria, manager Jose Mourinho made significant remarks regarding Portuguese football and Benfica. Speaking to Sport TV, Mourinho stated that he follows Portuguese football closely, saying, "I am more curious about Benfica because there is a possibility we could face them in the Champions League qualifiers."

Responding to a question about the presidential elections at Benfica, Mourinho noted that Fenerbahçe is going through a similar process. "Elections at Fenerbahçe are in September, and at Benfica, they will be in October. Such periods are always complicated, and it is impossible to completely avoid the election process," he said.

When asked if he had received a managerial offer from Benfica, Mourinho firmly denied these claims, saying, "Never, never." Reminding that he had a brief stint as manager at Benfica, Mourinho added, "They don't even remember that I was the manager there. It was a long time ago and it lasted a very short time. Are we returning to Benfica now? They have a good manager, Bruno Lage. He is also from Setubal like me and is a good friend of mine."

Mourinho also expressed his desire to return to Portugal one day, concluding his remarks by saying, "This is something that I and my family want. I want to return when the right time and opportunity arise."