Jose Mourinho speaks about his future in Portugal

Jose Mourinho states that his future at Benfica is not tied to transfer activities, and he is planning long-term with the young squad after the win against Nacional.

Jose Mourinho has spoken to confirm his future at Benfica, after the team secured a crucial victory over Nacional to maintain a slim hope in the Liga Portugal title race.

At the Estadio da Luz home ground, Benfica delivered a solid performance by defeating Nacional 2-0 thanks to early goals from Andreas Schjelderup and Rafa Silva. This win allows "The Eagles" to temporarily keep pace in the chase, though they still trail the league leaders FC Porto by 7 points with only a few rounds remaining in the season.

Even as the championship opportunity continues to narrow, Mourinho does not overly focus on immediate results. Instead, the Portuguese strategist has begun directing his attention toward long-term planning, aiming to build a solid foundation for Benfica during this challenging transitional period.

Speaking after the match, Mourinho emphasized that his future at Benfica does not depend on whether the club spends heavily in the transfer market. He affirmed that his desire to stay is entirely personal: “Whether I continue or not depends on the club. My wish to remain is not linked to any conditions, including squad investment.”

One highlight of Mourinho's plan is to increase the use of young players from the Seixal academy, renowned for producing many talents for Portuguese football. In the context of the 2026 World Cup disrupting the pre-season period, he intends to give opportunities to an elite group of young players, viewing this as a strategic step to enhance squad depth.

Immediately, Benfica faces a major challenge as they visit Sporting CP in a decisive derby match. With a 7-point gap from the top spot and only 5 rounds left, Mourinho understands that only victory will allow his team to continue clinging to hope in the title race.