I made the wrong choice – Mourinho reflects on Fenerbahce move

Veteran Portuguese coach José Mourinho has admitted that leaving for Turkish giants Fenerbahce was a mistake, but insists he gave his all before being dismissed last month.

Mourinho was officially unveiled as Benfica’s new manager on Thursday, after the club confirmed his appointment in a filing with Portugal’s Securities Market Commission.

He has signed a contract that runs until the end of the 2026/27 season.

Reflecting on his short-lived spell in Turkey, Mourinho conceded he chose the wrong project, but stressed he remains proud of his effort.

“My career has been rich, I’ve coached in different countries, I made the wrong choice, but I have no regrets. I’m aware of what we did well or poorly. I made a mistake going to Fenerbahce, but I gave it my best until the last day. Coaching Benfica is returning to my level,” he said.

The former Chelsea, Inter Milan, Real Madrid, and Roma boss was sacked by Fenerbahce after failing to secure Champions League qualification.

At his unveiling, Mourinho quickly turned attention to Benfica’s ambitions, declaring his confidence in leading the Portuguese giants back to domestic dominance.

“Promises are worth what they’re worth. At FC Porto, I promised and could have broken them. I truly believe Benfica has everything it takes to win the championship.

“They’ve lost two points, and we’ll certainly lose more, hopefully not many, but we’re starting from scratch. Benfica has the potential in the dressing room to be champions. Not a promise, but the conviction that we can and should make it happen.”

Mourinho’s return to Portugal marks his first domestic job since his historic stint at FC Porto, where he won the UEFA Cup in 2003 and the Champions League in 2004, launching his reputation as one of Europe’s elite managers.