Mourinho: “I’ve Had No Contact with Real Madrid”
It is no secret that Real Madrid wants José Mourinho. The Portuguese coach has become the top candidate to revive a project the white club considers dead, worn out, and lacking a strong figure to restore respect in the locker room. The option of continuing with Álvaro Arbeloa, who has contributed almost nothing to the team, lacks consensus, and Florentino Pérez is clear that he needs a firm hand in a squad requiring immediate authority. That is where “Mou,” “The Special One,” comes in, fresh from setting off a major fire in Lisbon.
Benfica endured a night of maximum tension at Da Luz. A win was mandatory to secure Champions League qualification, but the 2-2 draw against Braga has left the Lisbon club on the brink of a massive failure. The “Eagles” will play the final matchday outside the spots for the preliminary round of the top competition, after being overtaken by Sporting CP in the fight for second place.
The blow is extremely hard. Benfica took the lead early in the second half through a move by Gianluca Prestianni that ended with Rafa Silva scoring against his former team. But their joy lasted only a moment. A minute later, Pau Víctor equalized with a header from a cross by Víctor Gómez. Braga, barely creating chances, struck gold in the final stretch when Jean-Baptiste Gorby silenced the stadium with a 1-2 goal in the 88th minute. Only a penalty converted by Vangelis Pavlidis in the 95th minute prevented a defeat that would have been even more devastating.
Even so, the draw feels like a catastrophe. Benfica drops to third place with 77 points, two less than Sporting CP, and loses control of its destiny. They no longer just need to win: they must take all three points and hope the “Lions” slip up. The fans erupted against Benfica president Rui Costa, while the players bid farewell to the supporters.
“Braga barely arrived. I think they had three or four shots,” said José Mourinho, Benfica’s coach.
Mourinho, however, defended his players in the press conference. “Benfica played a great match,” he assured after the game. The Portuguese coach highlighted his team’s attitude and bravery, though he admitted the problem is a lack of finishing. For “Mou,” the result did not reflect what was seen on the pitch.
Then came the rant against the referees. Mourinho did not want to go on too long, but he left a strong message: “It’s impossible for things to get worse than they have already. The refereeing problems, in my opinion, are no longer worth discussing,” he said.
And about his future, he is clear: “From the moment we entered this final phase, I decided I didn’t want to listen to anyone, that I wanted to be ‘isolated’ in my work space. There’s a match against Estoril (next matchday), and from Monday I will be able to answer what my future as a coach will be and the future of Benfica.”
Paradoxically, the fire at Da Luz could accelerate a blockbuster operation: Mourinho’s return to the Santiago Bernabéu. The Portuguese coach is on the ropes in Lisbon, Benfica is burning from within, and Madrid wants him. The press is already talking about the Portuguese’s demands to the white club for a return to what was his home. For now, “The Special One” is struggling in Portugal.
