José returns to Belenenses

Short-term contract 
The former Boavista FC and SL Benfica coach returns to the Restelo after an absence of 35 years and replaces Marinho Peres, the Brazilian trainer who parted company with the club on 26 January after a string of poor results. He has signed a contract until the end of the season with an option to extend the deal for another season.

Fresh start 
José will not take charge of the team until next week, however, so as not to upset the preparations the caretaker manager Nené has made for this weekend's match against FC Paços de Ferreira. "It doesn't make sense for me to start work in the middle of the week as I would disrupt Nené's work and I do not want that, so I'll start next week," he said. "I'm always following Marinho, who is a very good friend of mine," José said of his predecessor. "When he left [CS] Marítimo I went to replace him."

'First choice' 
Belenenses president Sequeira Nunes said José, who coached in Egypt with Al Ahly FC in the 2001/02 season, was his "first choice" and underlined the fact that he had been in contention for the role of Portugal coach.