The get out of class was dismissed after one round of competition, and the first coach of the Champions League was born this season

The first coach of the Champions League was dismissed this season was born

In the first round of the Champions League group stage held in the early morning of September 17, 2025, Benfica lost to Azerbaijani team Karabakh 2-3 at home. After the game, Benfica quickly made a decision to remove head coach Bruno Lager from his post.

Benfica Chairman Rui Costa confirmed: "We have reached an agreement with Bruno Lag and he will no longer serve as the team's head coach. I want to thank Bruno for his efforts and efforts this year. Unfortunately, the time for change has arrived. Regarding the candidate for the new coach, we hope to confirm as soon as possible."

This is Lag's second time coaching Benfica. After the 2019-2020 season, he returned to Lisbon to take charge of the team in September 2024. Although he led the team to win the League Cup and the Portuguese Super Cup, he failed to help Benfica maintain a stable competitive form.

According to Portuguese media reports, Jose Mourinho is currently regarded as the strongest contender to replace Lager. The former Manchester United manager has just left Fenerbahce in the summer of 2025 and is considered willing to return to the coaching bench if he encounters a suitable program.

The home game was reversed terrible, and Benfica's record was worrying

In the early morning of September 17, Benfica took a 2-0 lead in just 16 minutes of the opening game, but in the end he lost 2-3 to his opponent at the Light Stadium. This match not only caused Benfica to suffer a heavy blow in the Champions League, but also their third defeat in the past 10 European games.

In the domestic league, Benfica's performance is also unsatisfactory, currently only ranks 6th, down by as much as 5 points from the top Porto. This failure undoubtedly accelerated the club's management's pace of adjustment to the coaching staff, striving to reverse the situation in the following schedule.