Jose Mourinho returned to the dugout with Benfica earlier this month, but the former Manchester United boss faced the media without any points to show for his side’s recent Premier League opener against Rio Ave
Jose Mourinho unleashed a furious rant after Benfica’s dramatic 1-1 draw against Rio Ave. The Portuguese giants had a goal controversially chalked off by VAR during Tuesday night’s fiery encounter at the Estadio da Luz.
Heorhiy Sudakov fired Benfica ahead in the final minutes before André Luiz netted a stoppage-time equaliser. Mourinho, who recently returned to management after being sacked by Fenerbahce, had enjoyed a brilliant start to life at the Eagles, winning his first game 3-0 against AVS at the weekend.
The former Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham boss was then held to a draw by Rio Ave a few days later. Speaking to reporters after the game, Mourinho described the result as ‘tremendously unfair’.
As quoted by Portuguese outlet Record, the 62-year-old said: “The result is extremely unfair. One team wanted to win, the other wanted a draw. We were penalised with a result that is obviously terrible, against an opponent who scored a fantastic goal from a technical standpoint with their only shot on goal.
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“From the perspective of Benfica’s coach, we can’t concede that goal in the 90th minute, after 45 minutes of such quality, a tremendous game. We did everything to win. We scored a goal; you can’t concede a goal when you’re winning 1-0.
“You can concede a goal at that moment, but in a different way, not where the ball carrier—Enzo [Barrenechea] or [Richard] Ríos, if I’m not mistaken—is playing with six players in front of the ball. Having only three is naive.
“It’s naive, it shows a lack of overall experience and a lack of understanding of the game. We should have circulated and not created any danger, which is what we did wrong in the first half. The result and its unfairness hurt, as does the way we conceded the goal.
“In the first half, we had possession, but without much objectivity. In the second half, with the two players who came on, the team performed differently and began to create.”
On Benfica’s disallowed goal, Mourinho said: “If this is today’s football, if a goal is disallowed because a toe was stepped on or a shirt was pulled, I don’t like today’s football. In the second half, we did everything. We’re not a team with great presence in the box, neither physical nor penalty area characteristics. We scored a good goal. We lost two important points.”
Mourinho added: “It’s modern football, which I’m not obliged to like. I don’t like this kind of disallowed goal, whether it’s for one side or the other. It doesn’t mean I’m being critical.
“Honestly, I don’t think it’s a goal that should be disallowed. A player who fakes outside the box, five minutes into the game, gets a yellow card? I don’t even know if he faked.
“But there are players who spend the whole game delaying… But there you go, those are criteria. I don’t like to go there, it wasn’t that way. It wasn’t the referee’s decision that we didn’t win.”
Mourinho continued: “Rio Ave is responsible for the emotional strategy they used, stopping the game and slowing it down. The referee is responsible, and I said to him at halftime: why don’t you give a yellow card to a goalkeeper in the 15th or 20th minute?
“Because if that happens, the game is completely different. Referees also have a responsibility to improve football, as do we. I’ve done the same thing before and maybe I’ll do it again.
“We had little inside play, we won back balls and instead of directing, we played them back. With fantastic grass for playing fast… It’s also my fault because I chose to play with this team.
“[Dodi] Lukebakio wasn’t in a position to play much more than he did. But I’m very happy with the second half. If I could have made the game end with our goal… I’d be very happy with our second half.”
Mourinho and Benfica return to action against Gil Vicente this weekend before returning to Stamford Bridge in the Champions League next week.
2025-09-24 14:38:32
