After Rui Costa's words, Benfica gear up for one last push | OneFootball

The moment for Benfica is one of revolt. Dissatisfaction is growing throughout the entire professional football team and became even more evident after the speech by Rui Costa, the Club's president, at the Cosme Damião Awards 2026 ceremony, on Tuesday, at Pavilion No. 2 of Luz.

During the ceremony, the leader of Benfica denounced what he considers to be injustices that marked the season: from the Portuguese Cup "taken" from Benfica, to incidents in the game with Arouca and "in other fields," to the punishment applied to José Mourinho which he classified as "unqualifiable." In front of the awardees and Benfica supporters, Rui Costa once again promised "to fight until the last breath" and demanded "respect" and "equality of arms" to compete with direct rivals.

In the League, Benfica has the same points as Sporting, the second-placed team (with one less game), and is seven points behind Porto's leadership. With eight rounds left to play, winning all matches would allow the Benfica team to secure second place and access to the next edition of the Champions League. Round 30 could be decisive: the eagles visit Alvalade and, in case of victory, will gain an advantage in the head-to-head with Sporting, after the 1-1 draw in the first round, at Luz.

Even with the victory in Arouca, Benfica felt wronged again. Captain and central defender António Silva (Nicolás Otamendi missed the round due to physical problems) received a yellow card in a contested move, which leaves him suspended due to card accumulation, while left-back Samuel Dahl was pushed by the referee in a controversial play. In the end, the general director of Benfica's football, Mário Branco, sought out the referee in the locker room to express the team's displeasure.

José Mourinho has been working to protect the group, reinforcing the message of unity and pride. Benfica is the only undefeated team in the championship and, despite the turbulence, the Management and the coach maintain a maximum demand: .

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.