Benfica president Rui Costa has officially announced the dismissal of Bruno Lage as first-team coach. Lage's term was set to run until 2026, but Benfica's 3-2 comeback loss to Qarabag in the first round of the Champions League proved to be the final straw.

"I want to inform all Benfica fans that we have just reached an agreement with Bruno Lage that he will no longer be the head coach of Benfica from today." Costa made it clear at the press conference, "Thank you Bruno for everything he has done for Benfica and the dedication he has shown during his coaching career. But unfortunately, the time has come and we think it is time to make a change."

All signs indicate that Lage's successor will be the 62-year-old Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho. The two sides are said to have reached a verbal agreement that Mourinho will coach Benfica until June 2027.

It is worth mentioning that Mourinho's Fenerbahçe was eliminated by Lajoie's Benfica and missed the Champions League finals. The day after being eliminated, Fenerbahçe officially announced Mourinho's dismissal.

However, Costa avoided talking about this: "Benfica does not have a new coach at the moment. The only thing that happened after the game was that I had a conversation with Bruno Lager and then confirmed his dismissal. As of today, Benfica has neither appointed a new coach nor discussed any possible candidates to become the Benfica coach. Of course, we are ready to welcome the new coach when we play against Aves Town at the weekend."

"Benfica's new manager must possess a winning personality. The past week has been extremely difficult for all Benfica fans. I would like to apologize for Friday's match against Santa Clara and today's match, as the results were completely unexpected and fell far short of the goals and expectations we set this week. However, we haven't jeopardized our season goals, suffered no substantial losses, and haven't been eliminated from any competition. I believe now is the right time to make changes to ensure that this season remains unaffected."

"In short, the new manager must be a winner," he concluded. "The manager who takes charge of Benfica must be able to push the team to the heights we expect and win us the titles we desire."

As for Mourinho, he responded in an interview: "Benfica has officially asked me if I am interested in coaching. I said that I am currently abroad and I would be happy to talk to the relevant personnel after returning home. Let's see how the follow-up progresses. Which coach would refuse Benfica? I won't."