Benfica head coach José Mourinho attended the pre-match press conference for the Taça de Portugal (Portuguese Cup) match against Chaves.
How have these days been, and what are you looking forward to?
"The players who stayed have performed well, and the new signings have also integrated into the team. Over the past two days—today and yesterday—we have been fine-tuning the details of our gameplay. This is a typical Taça de Portugal match; our opponent is a team from the lower-tier league, but they don’t play badly.
This requires us to take it seriously, starting with me, and pass on this seriousness to the players. It’s a sign of respect for Benfica, the fans, and Chaves, who play football well.
We must take this match seriously. If we win, everything will be seen as usual；if we lose, it won’t be.
We have been improving through matches, because training alone can’t achieve that. I know they will ask if I will change the lineup, but I say I will only make very few changes."
If you have to choose between the Champions League and the Cup, would you rotate players like Orsnes?
"The matches have been good. Our squad is slightly larger than expected, and as the squad continues to recover, it will ultimately be a positive experience for the players who haven’t gotten much game time.
The players who haven’t played haven’t had much time on the pitch. The downside is that usually, we don’t train much during international breaks, and the players who didn’t play for their national teams also don’t get much training. But yesterday and today, we finally had the conditions to get into good form. The risk is underperforming;
Chaves will put up a good fight, which is normal. Our preparation for this match is to avoid that scenario. We have analyzed Chaves carefully and are trying to make use of their strengths and exploit their weaknesses. We must play well."
In 2004, you lost the Taça de Portugal final. How do you feel about returning to coach in the Portuguese Cup now that you’re back in Portugal?"I was going to say I’ve never been eliminated, but that would be a lie. I was eliminated when I was coaching Leiria. In the following two seasons, I reached the final twice, and I really want to be back in that situation.
Benfica really missed an important opportunity—they should have won the title last season. Benfica has a tradition in cup competitions; my father and I have been to Jamor countless times; that match still moves me to this day.
As Benfica’s head coach, I have never participated in a Taça de Portugal final... I really want to take part. Right now, the Taça de Portugal is much more important than the Champions League, but by Saturday, the Champions League will be the priority."
What do you think of the relationship between the presidents of the three top clubs in the Primeira Liga?
"I limit myself to the role of a coach and view matches from a coach’s perspective. Even if I’m not the coach of the relevant teams, I can’t help but see the game through a coach’s eyes.
In last season’s cup final, the referee team performed poorly, including VAR—which is sometimes more important than the on-field referee. The issues between the presidents are almost historic, but when emotions subside, they will realize that for
Portuguese football and to solve some problems, they must unite.
This is nothing new, nor is it something to worry about. It’s good for you; it helps you work better."
Referees make mistakes sometimes, and some are really fatal. How do you view this from a coach’s perspective?"We all make mistakes, but when those mistakes turn into major changes in the reality of the game, it’s harder to accept. But I look at this from a coach’s perspective."
Do you expect Sudakov to play in this match?
In the 2004 final, did you ever talk to the player who scored the goal—Simão, who is sitting next to you?"When he went to Barcelona, I waited for him at the airport. He was still a kid back then, going to a top
European club, and there was a Portuguese staff member from the club waiting for him.
I stayed at the club for two years and built a deep friendship with him—not like a father-son relationship, more like a brotherly one. It’s a loving relationship, because that’s how it started. We rarely talk about that match, because I have more memories of good moments than bad ones.
But of course, I remember that match. I remember walking down the stairs as a loser and seeing many Benfica fans say: ‘Now you will become champions.’
I remember receiving positive encouragement back then."
Would you prefer to play on Friday or Saturday?
"The mistake was that we should have drawn SC Musgueira, Oriental Lisboa, or Cultural de Pontinense... but instead, we drew Chaves.
It has to be Friday; we will arrive early on Saturday. I’d rather waste a day waiting for the national team players to return than set aside another day to prepare for the Champions League match.
Ríos won’t play tomorrow—he was the last one to return and hasn’t trained with the team, so we have to make a choice. I’d rather play on Friday and Tuesday than Saturday and Tuesday."
José Mourinho said at Benfica’s Taça de Portugal pre-match presser that Benfica should have won last season’s Portuguese Cup. He criticized some fatal mistakes by Portuguese referees, noted the current match vs Chaves needs focus, and said the Cup is more important than the Champions League right now.
