Jose Mourinho completed an unbeaten league season with Benfica but had to settle for third place in the Portuguese top-flight.
Benfica beat Estoril 3-1 in their final match of the campaign as they ended their undefeated Primeira Liga campaign with 23 wins, 11 draws and no defeats.
However, they finished on 80 points – eight behind champions Porto and two behind second-placed Sporting.
The victory over Estoril could be Mourinho’s final game in charge of Benfica, as he is in the final stages of negotiations to become Real Madrid manager, 13 years after his first spell at the Bernabeu.
The 63-year-old joined Portuguese side Benfica as manager on a two-year contract last September, but is wanted by Real president Florentino Perez.
This is not the first time Benfica have gone a league season unbeaten and ended up trophyless.
In 1977-78, Porto drew two games fewer and pipped them to the league title on goal difference.
Mourinho’s Benfica have joined FC Sheriff in Moldova (2024-25) and Serbian side Red Star Belgrade (2007-08) as the only European sides this century to miss out on a league title despite going an entire season without losing.
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