December 5th: This Friday marks exactly a quarter of a century since the day Mourinho left Benfica thinking he was going to coach Sporting, the date of the Eternal Derby. A handful of indignant voices prevented him from doing so. Come and discover the details of this story.
December 5th.
This Friday marks exactly 25 years since José Mourinho was “minutes away,” as he himself later admitted, from becoming Sporting’s coach.
Now, as fate has a surprising sense of humor, it so happened that, a quarter of a century later, this December 5th, 2025, would also be the day Mourinho found himself in the middle of a conflict between rivals Sporting and Benfica. Very curious, isn’t it?
Not at all. The coach had already been announced by Rui Costa, for example, exactly 25 years after first arriving at Benfica. In short, he’s clearly a man of milestone anniversaries.
Today is derby day at the Estádio da Luz, which brings to mind another clash between Sporting and Benfica: an off-field confrontation that turned that Tuesday, December 5, 2000, into one of the craziest and most impulsive dates in the century-long rivalry between the two clubs.
But we’ll get to that later.
First of all, it’s important to say that this story began two days earlier. On a Sunday.
December 5th.
This Friday marks exactly 25 years since José Mourinho was “minutes away,” as he himself later admitted, from becoming Sporting’s coach.
Now, as fate has a surprising sense of humor, it so happened that, a quarter of a century later, this December 5th, 2025, would also be the day Mourinho found himself in the middle of a conflict between rivals Sporting and Benfica. Very curious, isn’t it?
Not at all. The coach had already been announced by Rui Costa, for example, exactly 25 years after first arriving at Benfica. In short, he’s clearly a man of milestone anniversaries.
Today is derby day at the Estádio da Luz, which brings to mind another clash between Sporting and Benfica: an off-field confrontation that turned that Tuesday, December 5, 2000, into one of the craziest and most impulsive dates in the century-long rivalry between the two clubs.
But we’ll get to that later.
First of all, it’s important to say that this story began two days earlier. On a Sunday.
Sunday, December 3, 2000
7:00 PM
At the Estádio da Luz, the eternal derby is played. The game ends around 9 pm and Benfica beats Sporting 3-0, on the night that João Tomás was the hero (after a week in which he had been in the news for allegedly being injured).
José Mourinho later recounted, in his first book, that he used the derby victory to corner Manuel Vilarinho: upon hearing the news that Toni was the new president’s preferred coach, Mourinho received him in his office after the game, in his underwear and with his legs on the table, to demand a contract renewal for another season.
11:00 PM
In his office in Alvalade, Luís Duque is racking his brains. The president of Sporting’s SAD (Sporting SAD, the club’s management company) felt there was a split between Augusto Inácio and some of the heavyweights in the dressing room, so he advocated for the departure of the championship-winning coach. Someone within the SAD suggested the Dutchman Guus Hiddink, who had been without a club since leaving Betis the previous season.
Luís Duque had other ideas. He wanted someone who knew the Portuguese league and saw José Mourinho as the ideal man: an admiration he had even shared with José Veiga, the coach’s agent at the time. So, that night, he mustered up the courage and called Mourinho. He asked him if the two of them could meet to talk.
Monday, December 4, 2000
00:30 hours
Later that night, but in the early hours of Monday morning, Luís Duque and sporting director Carlos Freitas met with Mourinho at the Quinta da Marinha hotel in Cascais.
They talked for hours. Mourinho already knew what he was getting into and brought to the meeting a dossier with complete profiles of all the players in the Sporting squad. Luís Duque was impressed by the level of detail. He spoke to him about the Sporting project, the construction of the Alcochete Academy, and the ongoing professionalization of all the club’s departments.
Mourinho appears enthusiastic, but makes it clear that his priority is Benfica. He knew that Manuel Vilarinho had won the elections with the promise of bringing Toni back and that the former champion was the president’s choice. Even so, he considers that he has a duty of loyalty to the players and responds to Luís Duque that they could only proceed after being certain that he is not in Vilarinho’s plans.
Monday morning
It’s a day off for the Benfica and Sporting squads, following the derby the previous day. Nevertheless, Mourinho calls Manuel Vilarinho and asks to speak with him.
He reiterates that he needs proof of confidence in his work and that this proof involves a one-year contract renewal. He says that, given the news that has been circulating about the desire to bring Toni back, it is necessary to reinforce his position, even in front of the players.
Manuel Vilarinho reiterates that he cannot do that without speaking to the investors, that it is still too early, and that the plan was to analyze the renewal only at the end of May. Mourinho ends the call and calls Luís Duque. They could meet again.
11:00 AM
Pinto da Costa watches about half an hour of FC Porto’s first training session of the week amidst the journalists. Before leaving, he gives a statement talking only about the derby… and Mourinho.
“It was the victory of a young Portuguese coach who demonstrated great courage. He proved that the Portuguese, when given opportunities, are capable of achieving things that many foreigners cannot,” said the president of FC Porto. It was clear: Luís Duque was not the only admirer of Mourinho’s qualities.
Mid-afternoon
José Mourinho and Luís Duque meet again, this time at José Veiga’s office in Campo Grande. The meeting is no longer just for conversation: it’s to discuss the contract. After hours of negotiations, Mourinho signs a pre-agreement to coach Sporting for one year, with an option for another season, including penalty clauses in case of breach of contract by either party.
It was also decided that Sporting would hand the squad over to an interim coach, who would be responsible for the game against Belenenses on Saturday. After that, Mourinho would be announced and would start training at Alvalade from Monday.
The two had entered through the garage to avoid being seen, but they couldn’t escape the gaze of the building’s doorman, who found the coincidence strange. Shortly after, Humberto Pedrosa, a powerful businessman who also has an office in the building, arrived and was informed by the doorman of Duque and Mourinho’s presence there. Humberto Pedrosa is a close associate of Manuel Vilarinho, having financed his campaign and later becoming one of the largest subscribers to Benfica’s SAD (Sporting Limited Company) shares. Therefore, he shares the information with the president. Vilarinho doesn’t change his opinion, but uses that news as leverage to defend his position before the club members.
Tuesday, December 5, 2000
9:30 am
It’s back-to-training day for Benfica and Sporting. At both the Estádio da Luz and the Estádio José Alvalade, the coaches have scheduled two training sessions: one in the morning and one in the afternoon.
Prior to that, in the 9:30 a.m. edition, Bola Branca, on Rádio Renascença, broadcast an interview with José Mourinho, in which the coach says that positions remain extreme and that he himself, “out of the corner of his eye,” was already exploring other options.
The coach complained, among other things, about the signings of André Neles and Roger, as well as the returns of Ricardo Esteves and Rui Baião. All without even consulting him.
11:00 AM
Alarmed by the growing news of unease, amplified by Mourinho’s interview with Bola Branca, dozens of Benfica members are heading to the Estádio da Luz. By around 11 am, approximately two hundred have gathered outside the stadium. Inside, on the main pitch, Mourinho is leading the previously scheduled training session.
5:00 PM
During the afternoon, Mourinho leads another training session at the Estádio da Luz and, at the end, explains to the players that he may be leaving: he reveals that he had given the management an ultimatum to renew his contract for another year and that, without it, he could not continue. He then goes to Manuel Vilarinho’s office and submits his resignation.
Around the same time, in Alvalade, Augusto Inácio was summoned by the management, who explained to him that from that date he would no longer be Sporting’s coach.
He was offered the opportunity to remain at the club in a role as coordinator for all levels, and was asked to accompany Luís Duque to the press conference that would announce the separation between the two parties. This was partly to receive praise and to have an honorable exit.
5:30 PM
A few minutes later, José Manuel Freitas reported on the Desporto Digital website that Mourinho had resigned as Benfica’s coach and that Inácio was also leaving Sporting. This, naturally, immediately caused a great stir.
The worst was yet to come at 5:30 PM. In the mid-season edition of Bola Branca, journalist Pedro Sousa broke the news that Mourinho would be Sporting’s coach. This completely ruined Luís Duque’s plans, who shortly afterwards was scheduled to appear alongside Inácio at a press conference. Outraged, Sporting fans stormed the press room. Meanwhile, at the Estádio da Luz, club members also stormed the press room, protesting José Mourinho’s departure. Benfica’s management called the police, but the officers sent to the Luz were unable to calm the situation.
6:00 PM
Sporting players begin to leave Alvalade and are approached by journalists, who confront them with the news of Mourinho’s arrival, reported by Bola Branca. They all show surprise, but captain Beto is the most vehement.
“Don’t joke with me! This has to be a very bad joke,” he shouted from inside the car to the RTP reporter who had informed him of Mourinho’s imminent arrival.
7:00 PM
Manuel Vilarinho goes down to the locker room to meet with the players and explain the reasons for the coach’s departure. The squad leaves the Estádio da Luz after 8 pm.
Meanwhile, the press conference held by the management, which was scheduled for 6 pm, was repeatedly postponed. Around 7 pm, the communications director, João Malheiro, decided to enter the room to see what the atmosphere was like. Terrible idea. He ended up having to quickly leave, amidst many insults and some aggression from the fans.
7:30 PM
Given the delay by the Benfica board in speaking to the club’s members, José Mourinho stepped forward… Accompanied by Mozer, he entered the press room, where he was greeted with loud applause and chants of “Mourinho, Mourinho, Mourinho”.
“We told Benfica’s management that we would only continue if they renewed our contract for another season. This form of pressure was not accepted, which is proof of a lack of confidence in our work. Therefore, we did what we had already planned some time ago: to give the management space to better manage Benfica’s interests,” Mourinho announced.
8:00 PM
On the other side of the Segunda Circular, at the Alvalade Stadium, Luís Duque enters a press room also full of fans, with Augusto Inácio and the SAD management by his side. He announces to the world that Inácio was no longer the Sporting coach and gives him a hug.
From then on he couldn’t speak anymore. “Not Mourinho. Never in my life. Never Mourinho,” the fans shouted. Inácio stood up and asked the fans to calm down, but to no avail. “Hey Inácio, you can leave. What we don’t want is for Mourinho to come.”
It was then that a fan asked Luís Duque if he confirmed or denied that Mourinho was coming to Sporting. “I do not confirm that coach José Mourinho is coming,” he replied, before adding: “I deny that he has any contract or promise with José Mourinho.”
The lie didn’t calm the fans, and one, more agitated, stepped forward. “I guarantee you that if Mourinho is hired, neither he nor you will set foot in Alvalade again,” he shouted. Luís Duque tried to defuse the situation. “I listen to what you say, I take note of your advice, but we’re only here to thank Inácio.”
9:00 PM
Around the time the press conference in Alvalade ends, vice-president Tinoco de Faria enters the press room at Luz, accompanied by other vice-presidents, including Mário Dias and João Noronha Lopes. All except… president Manuel Vilarinho.
The management is met with whistles and insults. Tinoco de Faria tries to read a statement for several minutes, but is unable to do so amidst the jeers of the fans. He stands up, shouts, asks for the microphone, but to no avail. Until he decides to read the statement anyway.
“José Mourinho today left his position as head coach of Benfica’s first team, after issuing an unacceptable ultimatum to the club president, demanding that he extend his contract for another season within 24 hours,” he said, with boos from the club members in the background.
Wednesday, December 6, 2000
00:00 hours
It was past midnight when Manuel Vilarinho finally managed to leave the Estádio da Luz. Outside the garage, there were still about a hundred Benfica supporters, who immediately greeted the president with whistles and insults. The police formed a cordon around the president’s jeep to prevent the supporters from reaching him.
Only after that did the members, who had been at the Luz stadium almost all day, disperse and return home.
02:00 hours
Augusto Inácio is at home, sitting on the living room sofa. The television is on, but the coach isn’t watching anything: his mind is wandering through everything that had happened.
That’s when the phone rings. The clock above the television shows two in the morning. It was Luís Duque: he told him he had acted hastily and arranged with the coach to have breakfast at the Radisson hotel, very close to the Alvalade Stadium.
9:00 AM
Luís Duque reflected during the night and decided he couldn’t continue. What had happened the previous day had been very serious; the president of the SAD (Sporting Club of Portugal’s management company) hadn’t felt supported and therefore he was going to submit his resignation to the club president, Dias da Cunha. Before that, he went to have breakfast with Inácio at the Radisson and asked him to come back.
Luís Duque’s idea was not to leave the bench with an interim manager when he left the club. The resignation was to be presented in the afternoon, when Dias da Cunha returned from a trip to Mozambique. The president had missed his flight to Lisbon, had to take a plane to Paris and from there to Lisbon. Therefore, Luís Duque had not yet been able to speak with him.
Augusto Inácio, on the other hand, agreed to continue, but imposed one condition: that Luís Duque join him at training. But Duque never showed up. “Everyone asks me why I accepted. The truth is that I had grown up in that house and my whole family were Sporting fans. That was my dream job,” the former coach explained.
Early afternoon
Augusto Inácio arrives at Alvalade and one of the first people he meets is goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel. The Dane asks him if he had gone to get his things and Inácio replies that he hadn’t, that he was going to lead the training session. At 4 pm, Inácio then leads the training session, to the surprise of fans and journalists, who were expecting everything… but that. At the end of the training session, he schedules another session for the following day, also at 4 pm.
5 PM
Luís Duque and António Dias da Cunha meet in Alvalade for a meeting requested by the president of the SAD (Sporting Club Alvalade). During the meeting, Duque explains that he is not doing anything in Alvalade if he cannot even choose the coach, laments the lack of solidarity from some club officials, and submits his resignation.
Dias da Cunha does not accept.
7:30 PM
Dias da Cunha speaks to journalists as he leaves Alvalade. He confirms that he had not accepted Luís Duque’s resignation request and assures that the coach’s situation is entirely the responsibility of the SAD (Sporting SAD, the club’s management company). But he continues praising Inácio, before adding: “As a Sporting supporter, I can say that José Mourinho has nothing to recommend him.”
Luís Duque felt even more vulnerable.
Thursday, December 7, 2000
1:10 PM
Augusto Inácio was having lunch at his mother’s house, which is near the Alvalade Stadium, when he received a phone call from Luís Duque’s secretary, informing him not to show up for the afternoon training session because he was excused.
Inácio replied that it couldn’t be the secretary who gave such information and that he was going to Alvalade to speak with Luís Duque. When he arrived at the SAD offices, he entered Luís Duque’s office without asking permission. The office had a room that served as an entrance hall before the actual office. Inácio waited for Luís Duque in that hall.
The president of the SAD (Sporting Club of Portugal, SAD) comes to speak with the coach, explaining that the administration believes there is no going back and that there is nothing to be done. The two argue heatedly.
4:00 PM
At the appointed time, the Sporting squad begins training at Alvalade, this time under the guidance of Fernando Mendes. The historic Sporting full-back had already been announced as interim coach the previous Tuesday, but only on Thursday did he actually begin training. For about a month and a half, he will be at the helm, until Luís Duque goes to the Azores to fetch the veteran star Manuel Fernandes, who was coaching Santa Clara.
From this point on, Luís Duque drops the José Mourinho possibility. But he doesn’t break off his friendship with the coach. On December 21st, for example, he goes to dinner with Mourinho. The following day, he tells TSF that they had “talked for hours,” that he was “fascinated by his experiences,” and insisted that it was the first time they had been together. Which was false.
Shortly after, on January 4th, Luís Duque met with Augusto Inácio in Alvalade. The coach informed the president of the SAD (Sporting Club of Alvalade) that he wanted to continue as a coach and declined the invitation to join the club’s structure. On January 25th, Luís Duque hired Manuel Fernandes as the permanent coach, and on February 8th, two months after failing to hire Mourinho, he again submitted his resignation. This time, Dias da Cunha accepted it.
José Mourinho remained without a club until the end of the season, and the following season he began coaching União de Leiria, which he left in January to coach FC Porto.
The rest is history.