Jose Mourinho’s emotional return to Porto ended in chaos on Sunday night as crowd violence and missile-throwing overshadowed his first match back at the Estadio do Dragao since taking charge of Benfica.
The 62-year-old manager — still revered in parts of Porto for delivering their 2004 Champions League triumph — was greeted not with nostalgia but with fury.
Sections of the home crowd hurled bottles and lighters toward the pitch, while Benfica supporters shockingly turned on one another in violent clashes in the away section.
Play was halted several times as stewards and riot police scrambled to regain control amid ugly scenes that marred what should have been a momentous occasion.
Mourinho, once known affectionately as “The Special One”, cut a composed figure on the touchline despite the hostility.
At one stage, he appeared to pick up an object thrown from the stands, before calmly returning to his technical area.
Porto fans unfurled a huge banner reading, “There’s only one Special One — Futebol Clube do Porto”, a pointed reminder that, in their eyes, Mourinho’s glory years with the club cannot be replicated elsewhere — least of all with their fiercest rivals.
Jose Mourinho was targeted by objects from Porto fans during Sunday's 1-1 draw with Benfica
|REUTERS
For many, his decision to take the Benfica job was viewed as an act of betrayal.
Mourinho’s appointment last month, following his short-lived spell with Fenerbahce, has reignited one of Portuguese football’s most bitter rivalries.
As emotions spilled over, violence erupted both in the stands and around the ground.
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Some Porto fans threw objects at Mourinho after the draw.
— IM🇵🇹 (@Iconic_Mourinho) October 5, 2025
Mourinho just picked them up to clean the pitch.pic.twitter.com/JYG4yLnDvu
Videos posted to social media showed Benfica fans brawling among themselves, while others attempted to shield children from the chaos.
One spectator described the atmosphere on X (formerly Twitter) as “a war zone,” lamenting that “it was meant to be about Mourinho and football, but it turned into something far uglier.”
Police confirmed that several individuals were detained after the match, and the Portuguese Football Federation is now expected to launch an investigation.
Both clubs face potential sanctions for failing to control their supporters.
Despite the bedlam, Mourinho’s Benfica emerged with a 1–1 draw — a valuable result against an in-form Porto side who had won every league match so far this season.
The point keeps Benfica within touching distance of the top, though the night will be remembered more for the scenes off the pitch than anything that happened on it.
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Jose Mourinho is confident he can bring the good times back to Benfica following his appointment last month
| GETTYThe match had been billed as a symbolic homecoming for Mourinho, who famously guided Porto to domestic and European success before his high-profile moves to Chelsea, Inter Milan, Real Madrid, Manchester United, Tottenham, Roma and Fenerbahce.
His triumph in the 2004 Champions League final against Monaco remains one of Portuguese football’s defining moments — with his side winning 3-0 that night to claim Europe's ultimate prize.
Since returning to Portuguese football, Mourinho has insisted that he is “fully committed” to restoring Benfica’s dominance.
“I will give everything for this club,” he said at his unveiling last month. “The past is history. My focus is on what we can build now.”