In a development that has set the Portuguese tactician at loggerheads with the powers that be at the Estadio da Luz, manager Jose Mourinho has once ag...
In a development that has set the Portuguese tactician at loggerheads with the powers that be at the Estadio da Luz, manager Jose Mourinho has once again cast a cloud of uncertainty over his future at Benfica. The seasoned manager, who was expected to sign a fresh contract with the Eagles, has now publicly admitted that he could not bring himself to glance at the offer. This comes amid raucous speculation linking him with a sensational return to the Real Madrid dugout. Speaking on Friday ahead of Benfica's final league fixture of the season against Estoril, a visibly strained Mourinho confessed that the recent public spat between his former lieutenant Alvaro Arbeloa and the Paris Saint Germain talisman Kylian Mbappe had left him deeply hurt. The whole affair, say sources close to the Benfica camp, has weighed heavily on the manager's mind.. �At the end of the day, I didn. �t even want to look at the contract,. � Mourinho conceded to GoalZaza.. �When you see certain things happening, it takes the joy out of the game. Football is about respect, and when that is absent, the lion's share of the passion is lost.. � The manager, who still has one year remaining on his current deal, refused to be drawn on his immediate plans, leaving the Benfica faithful in a state of anxious anticipation. The club. �s hierarchy had hoped to secure his signature before the summer transfer window, but with the Real Madrid links refusing to die down, the situation grows more tense by the day. The Super Eagles fans back home, who have watched Mourinho. �s career with great interest, are now split on whether the tactical genius should remain in Lisbon or take on the challenge of rebuilding Los Blancos. In a typical viewing centre in Surulere, Lagos, the atmosphere was one of heated debate as the news filtered through. One fan, a staunch Benfica supporter who wears a red and white replica kit every match day, insisted that Mourinho. �s heart is no longer in Portugal.. �The man has won everything in Europe. If he is not happy, let him go back to the Bernabeu,. � he said. But an older gentleman, sipping a bottle of malt, countered that the former Chelsea manager would do well to see out his contract and build a dynasty in Portugal.. �In the scheme of things, Benfica have given him a platform. He should show gratitude,. � the man argued. Meanwhile, a group of younger fans, some donning the jerseys of Nigerian stars like Victor Osimhen, debated whether the Arbeloa. Mbappe incident was truly enough to derail a man of Mourinho. �s experience.. �Oya, let the man rest. He knows what he is doing,. � one of them said, shaking his head. As the final whistle approaches on Benfica. �s season, all eyes remain fixed on the manager. �s next move, with the entire Nigerian football community waiting to see which direction the pendulum will swing.
