Bento to coach Portugal

Madrid - Paulo Bento will on Monday be appointed coach of Portugal after Real Madrid refused to release Jose Mourinho to take up the role temporarily, the Madrid sport press reported on Sunday.

Sport daily AS claimed Real president Florentino Perez refused to "loan" Mourinho for Portugal's next two Euro 2012 qualifying matches during a telephone call with Portuguese Football Federation president Gilberto Madail.

Marca reported that former Sporting Lisbon coach Paulo Bento, who played for Benfica, Sporting and Spanish side Oviedo, will sign a two-year contract with the Portuguese federation on Monday.

"I'm sad not to be able to take charge of my national team but I don't have the right to make demands from Real Madrid. It's a difficult situation," said Mourinho following Real's 2-1 win at Real Sociedad on Saturday evening.

Mourinho had said on Friday that it was "up to Real Madrid to decide".

Portugal have made a poor start to their Euro 2012 qualifying campaign, drawing 4-4 with Cyprus and losing 1-0 to Norway to leave them in fourth place in Group H.

They face Denmark and Iceland in October.