Mourinho back at Benfica 25 years on - revered but a risk?

It's a long time since Jose Mourinho took to the dugout as manager of Benfica. A quarter of a century, in fact. In that time he clambered to the very top of the footballing tree and broke a few branches on his way back to the red side of Lisbon.

A glittering 25 years have seen the self-proclaimed 'Special One' collect two Champions Leagues, a Uefa Cup, Europa League, Conference League, eight league titles and numerous other silverware in a career that has spanned 10 clubs.

He is still revered in Portugal among the generation of fans who remember him leading Porto to European glory, winning the treble with Inter and managing some of the world's biggest sides in Chelsea, Real Madrid and Manchester United.

Despite his last league title coming a decade ago, there is huge hype around the 62-year-old's return.

Outside the new Estadio da Luz, yet to be built when Mourinho last coached Benfica, there was a thrum of media activity and excitement as news broke of the veteran boss' return.

"We are missing those kinds of iconic coaches here in Portugal," explains CNN journalist Joao Pedro Oca, speaking between live hourly broadcasts outside the stadium. "His legacy is awesome here, mainly because of what he did in Porto.

"[But] Mourinho was linked to Benfica for a lot of years. This is something everyone expected, the return of Mourinho to Portugal and to Benfica and [eventually] to the national team. It was a question of time."

But there is also a feeling this appointment is a risk - not only for Benfica but Mourinho, too, with Benfica's presidential elections beginning on 25 October.

"He is a cherished figure in Portugal, one that almost transcends club rivalries," explains Expresso journalist Diogo Pombo. "But peak Mourinho is long gone and people are aware of his conflictual style from the last few years.

"But he has a story in Benfica and that works in his favour - when he left the club, he was loved by the fans despite only managing the team for 11 games and what he left was a sensation of injustice, of a chaotic club wasting the opportunity to grow with such an ambitious coach."