Sunday 6 January 2019 21:37, UK
Jose Mourinho has rejected an offer to return to Benfica to become their new manager.
Sky Sports News understands the former Manchester United and Chelsea boss feels that it is too early to return to Portuguese football at this stage of his career.
It is understood Mourinho, who was sacked as Manchester United boss last month, would prefer to take up a position at one of Europe's leading clubs.
Mourinho's first fully-fledged managerial job was at Benfica in 2000 but a dispute with the club led to him leaving the Estadio Luz after just nine league games.
After impressing in his next managerial role at Uniao de Leira, Mourinho went on to coach Porto, announcing himself on the world stage by guiding the Dragons to a stunning Champions League triumph in 2004.
That paved the way for Mourinho's appointment as manager of Chelsea where he won six trophies in three years before leaving the club by mutual consent in 2007.
Mourinho was back in work the following season at Inter Milan where he won a historic treble in 2010. He took charge at Real Madrid a few months later, spending three years at the Santiago Bernabeu before returning to Chelsea.
The Portuguese won his third Premier League title with Chelsea in 2015 but left the club a little over six months later after Chelsea lost nine of their opening 16 matches of the season.
Mourinho returned to football as manager of Manchester United the following season. He won a Europa League and League Cup double in his first season at Old Trafford and led United to a second-place finish in the Premier League last term.
But Mourinho was sacked last month, less than 24 hours after United lost 3-1 at Liverpool, leaving them 19 points behind their bitter rivals.
