Former Chelsea and Manchester United manager, Jose Mourinho, has fired back at critics following Benfica’s thrilling 4-2 victory over Real Madrid in a Champions League group stage match on Wednesday night.
Speaking after the match, Mourinho humorously expressed concern for his detractors, saying he hopes they were not “committing suicide” or jumping off balconies after seeing Benfica’s performance against one of Europe’s biggest clubs.
The game in Lisbon saw Real Madrid take an early lead through Kylian Mbappe in the 30th minute. Benfica responded with goals from Andreas Schjelderup and Vangelis Pavlidis, taking a 3-1 advantage. Mbappe scored again to narrow the deficit, keeping Real’s hopes of advancing alive.
Benfica, initially believing they were already secure in the top 24 for the Champions League play-offs, needed an additional goal to improve their goal difference. In a dramatic finish, goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin came up for a last-minute free-kick and scored with a header in the 98th minute, securing the decisive fourth goal.
The match was further intensified when Real Madrid’s Raul Asencio and Rodrygo were both shown red cards toward the end of the game. Benfica’s win guarantees their place in the Champions League knockout play-offs.
Mourinho, who has faced pressure due to Benfica trailing 10 points behind Primeira Liga leaders Porto, took the moment to respond to criticism, urging for respect.
“The only thing I want is a little respect. I hope they are not committing suicide or jumping off the balconies. Calm down,” Mourinho told reporters. “Benfica will lose, and they’ll have another chance to beat us. The only thing I need is a little respect. The team is the same.”
Elijah Adeyemi
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