The protégé got the better of his old mentor in Portugal as FC Porto, under the presidency of André Villas-Boas, beat José Mourinho-coached Benfica to the Portuguese Primeira Liga title on Saturday.
Porto won their 31st league crown with a 1-0 win against Alverca at their home Estádio Do Dragão.
Jan Bednarek’s goal at the 40-minute mark proved to be decisive as the victory moved Porto to 85 points, mathematically out of reach for Benfica (76) and Sporting CP (73) with only two matches remaining in the season.
Mourinho’s Benfica was held to a 2-2 draw at Famalicão.
It’s Porto first title in four years, having been revived in two years with Villas-Boas as president of his boyhood club, which he coached to a league, cup and Europa League treble at age 33 in 2011.
The precocious ability of Villas-Boas saw him join Mourinho’s coaching staff at age 24 at Porto — winning the UEFA Cup and Champions League in back-to-back seasons — then follow him to Chelsea and Inter Milan.
Villas-Boas took his own coaching career on a similar path — Porto, then Chelsea, later Tottenham, Zenit St. Petersburg and Marseille, until 2021.
At 46, he was elected president of the club closest to his heart.
His second season has now seen Porto end their title drought, despite Benfica hiring Mourinho in September. That was three weeks after Mourinho left Fenerbahce following an exit from the Champions League qualifying playoffs — at Benfica.
Missing out all the title will be all the more frustrating for Benfica and Mourinho, given the team has gone unbeaten in Primeira Liga through 32 games this season.
The 37-year-old Italian coach Francesco Farioli won the title in his first year in charge of Porto.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
