Benfica has sacked Coach, Bruno Lage over poor results and are said to be in talks with Jose Mourinho. The former Chelsea manager, who was sacked recently by Fenerbache is eager to return to management fast. Many are wondering how Mourinho will fit in after managing FC Porto,where he made his name after winning the Champions League with the modest Portuguese club, knowing the rivalry between the two giant clubs.
Well, many are keeping fingers crossed as negotiations are ongoing,and Benfica will be in a hurry to replace Lage, more so, given the latest shocking defeat from Qarabag in the opening group game of this year’s Champions League. Many football fans,however will be wondering if Benfica can escape Mourinho’s package whenever he leaves a club.
From Chelsea to Real Madrid, Inter, Roma, Manchester United,Tottenham and lately Fenerbache had paid the Special One a combined fee of almost 100m pounds as severage package. Will Benfica join the list? In the meantime, the story of Mourinho’reception in Turkey on arrival is a world apart from his departure, and lesson that goes beyond football,that today’s heroes easily become tomorrow’s villain.
When Jose Mourinho arrived in Turkey, the world seemed to stop for him. A sea of yellow and navy filled the streets, drums roared, flares lit the skies, and chants of his name shook the city. He was not just a football manager, he was hope incarnate, a promise of glory. He raised his hand and thousands reached back. It was triumph, it was theatre, it was power at its peak.
But months later, when he couldn’t deliver on his promises, his departure told a different story. No drums. No chants. No banners. Just silence. Mourinho, once lifted like a king, now sat quietly in an airport lounge, unnoticed, scrolling through his phone. The same stage that crowned him had now stripped him of its spotlight. The same people who once worshipped him had moved on to the next hope, the next name, the next promise.
This is not just football. This is politics. This is life. When you win, the stage is yours with cheers, cameras, and endless hands to shake. When you lose, the crowd vanishes. Silence replaces applause. Power, fame, even love are temporary, conditional, and dependent on performance.
The lesson is clear. Never mistake the crowd’s cheers for eternal loyalty. Never confuse the spotlight for the sun. Whether in football, politics, or life, the adoration of today can be the indifference of tomorrow. Hold power with humility and walk the stage knowing one day you will walk off.
For when the thunder fades, only character remains; so take note when on the stage.
