“I Can Work With Jose Mourinho!”

Ex-Arsenal Academy Chief Andries Jonker Says His History With Arsène Wenger And Louis van Gaal Proves He’s The Right Man For Benfica

In the world of football, few personalities command respect — and controversy — quite like José Mourinho. But one man who says he can not only work with “The Special One” but actually help him succeed at Benfica is none other than Andries Jonker, the former Arsenal academy chief and long-time football intellectual.

At first glance, this pairing sounds unusual: Mourinho, the fiery serial winner with an iron grip on every detail, and Jonker, the calm, methodical Dutchman known for developing young players and working behind the scenes. Yet, as Benfica prepares for its most significant presidential election in years, this could become reality.

Presidential candidate Martim Mayer has already made it clear — if he wins the vote on October 25, Jonker will join the club’s structure as a senior football advisor, working alongside Mourinho and general director Mário Branco.

And Jonker? He’s more than ready.

Jonker Eyeing Mourinho Partnership At Benfica

“I’ve worked with Louis van Gaal, Arsène Wenger, and Jupp Heynckes,” Jonker said with an understated confidence in an interview with Portuguese media. “If I can work with them, I can also work with José Mourinho.”

It wasn’t said with arrogance, but with a kind of quiet assurance — the voice of a man who has spent decades learning from the best, absorbing philosophies, clashing ideas, and building bridges between footballing worlds that often don’t mix easily.

Jonker’s career has been fascinatingly diverse. After managing at Wolfsburg and Willem II, and guiding Arsenal’s academy, he later took charge of the Netherlands Women’s National Team, helping them transition through a generational change. Before all that, he served as an assistant at Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and AZ Alkmaar, rubbing shoulders with some of the most elite minds in football.

Now, he’s on the brink of another challenge — this time in Lisbon, at one of Europe’s most historic clubs.

What Jonker Said About Working With Mourinho

England v Netherlands – UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 Group D

For Jonker, the idea of working with Mourinho isn’t intimidating; it’s logical. “Benfica hasn’t won enough in recent years,” he said bluntly. “If we look at Mourinho’s record, we see a man who’s been successful everywhere he’s gone. Therefore, what we need to do is support him.”

There’s something refreshingly old-school about Jonker’s tone — no ego, no self-promotion, just a pragmatic view of how things should be done. “Let’s hope he can win, become champion, win the Portuguese Cup, and perform well in Europe,” he added.

Jonker’s perspective is rooted in a kind of Dutch realism that football seems to have lost in recent years. To him, football isn’t about slogans or social media statements — it’s about structure, organization, and trust. And if Benfica fans have learned anything from their turbulent seasons, it’s that they’ve been missing exactly that.

Martim Mayer’s Vision: A New Football Structure For Benfica

Mayer’s presidential campaign has placed heavy emphasis on reform, discipline, and building a football structure that lasts beyond a single coach’s tenure. And in his eyes, Jonker represents that foundation.

“They [Wenger, Van Gaal, Mourinho] are all coaches with very different profiles and characteristics,” Mayer explained at his campaign announcement. “You have to know how to adapt the team to the manager. Andries is the right man to work with José Mourinho and Mário Branco.”

The Portuguese businessman didn’t mince words when describing his vision for Benfica’s future: “What was behind us was part of another coach. That had to be left behind. Andries is someone who will bring value to this project — something that has been missing from Benfica’s football for too long. We can’t just be organized; we need to be inspired.”

It’s a strong endorsement — and a clear sign that Mayer sees Jonker not as a bureaucrat, but as a builder. Someone capable of creating the framework for sustained success.

A Man Who’s Worked With Football’s Biggest Thinkers

When Jonker says he can work with Mourinho, it’s not just a boast — it’s backed by experience.

At Barcelona, he absorbed the tactical intricacies of Louis van Gaal’s positional football. At Bayern Munich, he saw firsthand how structure and discipline underpin a giant club’s success. When Van Gaal was sacked by Bayern in 2011, it was Jonker who stepped in as interim manager, guiding the team through a turbulent end to the season.

Later, at Arsenal, Jonker found himself in an environment shaped by Arsène Wenger’s philosophical approach — a stark contrast to Van Gaal’s authoritarian style. Where one demanded obedience, the other preached autonomy. Jonker thrived in both.

And that’s what makes him particularly interesting for Benfica. Mourinho, like Van Gaal, is an intense, detail-driven perfectionist. But he also values loyalty and structure. Jonker has built a career around delivering both.

The Challenge Ahead: Restoring Benfica’s European Pedigree

For all of Benfica’s history — two European Cups in the early 1960s, countless domestic titles, and the legendary name of Eusébio echoing through the Estádio da Luz — the truth is painful: the club has not won a Champions League title since the competition was rebranded in 1992.

Even domestically, while they’ve remained competitive, consistency has wavered. The most recent Primeira Liga title came in 2023, but since then, Porto and Sporting have both strengthened. Meanwhile, Benfica’s European campaigns have often ended in frustration — brave performances, yes, but not the kind that win silverware.

Mayer and Jonker both know that to restore Benfica’s former glory, the club must evolve. That means modernizing scouting, revamping youth development, and establishing a clear philosophy that outlives any single coach — even someone as powerful as Mourinho.

Mourinho’s Role: Still The Star, But Not The System

One of the most intriguing aspects of Mayer’s project is the idea of balance. Mourinho would, of course, remain the face of Benfica — the icon, the strategist, the motivator. But behind him, Jonker would provide a layer of football intelligence and structure that could keep the club stable through inevitable ups and downs.

In that sense, Jonker wouldn’t be Mourinho’s superior, nor his rival — but his ally. Someone who understands that great coaches need great systems behind them.

“We need more than organization,” Mayer said during his campaign launch. “We need identity. We need someone who connects all levels of the club — from the academy to the first team.”

Jonker, whose work at Arsenal’s academy helped develop players like Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe, fits that description perfectly.

Why This Partnership Could Actually Work

There’s a natural skepticism whenever Mourinho is involved — his history with sporting directors and board members has often been rocky. But Jonker might just be the exception.

He’s not a flashy executive or a self-promoter. He’s a football man in the truest sense, someone who cares deeply about process, development, and communication. He’s worked under enormous egos before — and found ways to thrive.

The secret? Respect and clarity.

Jonker once described his time under Van Gaal as “a constant education in detail.” And yet, he also managed to stay on good terms with the famously difficult coach long after leaving his staff. That ability to navigate personalities might be what makes him uniquely qualified to work with Mourinho — another brilliant but demanding figure.

Can Jonker Bring Lost Glory Back To Benfica?

Netherlands v France – UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 Group D

If Mayer wins the election and Jonker joins, the expectations will be immense. Benfica fans don’t just want domestic trophies — they want to dream again on the European stage.

Jonker knows that won’t happen overnight. But he also knows what it takes. “When you’ve been at clubs like Bayern, Arsenal, and Barcelona, you understand what a winning culture looks like,” he said. “It’s not just about talent — it’s about alignment, about everyone believing in the same vision.”

For a club that once dominated Europe and now finds itself chasing old shadows, those words ring true. Benfica doesn’t need another revolution. It needs evolution — and maybe, just maybe, Jonker is the man to bring it.

Final Thoughts: A Pragmatic Dreamer Meets A Legendary Fighter

At first, the idea of Andries Jonker and José Mourinho working together might seem unlikely. But when you strip away the noise, it starts to make sense. Both men value structure, both demand excellence, and both know that football is built on details — not drama.

Mourinho once said, “I’m not one from the bottle of wine generation; I’m from the generation of sweat and blood.” Jonker would probably agree — though he’d phrase it with more Dutch understatement.

If Martim Mayer wins the presidency and brings Jonker to Lisbon, Benfica could be entering one of its most fascinating modern eras — a mix of Mourinho’s charisma and Jonker’s intellect. Fire and logic, passion and planning.

And maybe, just maybe, that’s exactly what Benfica has been missing.