José Mourinho and the open war between Porto and Sporting: Benfica... | OneFootball

José Mourinho did not remain indifferent to the growing tensions between Porto and Sporting. At the press conference, where he revealed that Leandro Barreiro is a doubt, the Benfica coach dismissed the idea that the Eagles have at any point been favored during the current season, compared to their direct rivals.

"Benfica being favored? Since the start of the season, have you seen Benfica benefit from anything?" José Mourinho began, reacting to the question about the current difficult situation between the two rivals. The latest episode took place in the handball Clássico, where the Lions accuse the Dragons of having placed a 'bad smell' in the dressing room to harm the opponent.

"I still haven’t seen it. Sometimes I hear people talk about gusts of fresh air, and I was getting ready to try, in one respect, to be a gust of fresh air. That would be for my team to win with refereeing errors and for me to come out and say, 'we won 3 points,'" José Mourinho shot back, making it clear that the Eagles have not been favored this season.

"But errors in our favor? It still hasn’t happened. And I hope it doesn’t happen. But if it eventually does, I’ll throw down the challenge. And then I’ll come out and say that Benfica were favored. But up to now I can’t understand in what way," José Mourinho said, pointing to the difference in criteria applied to the rivals throughout the league matchdays.

"That situation between the two presidents, of Sporting and Porto... I already said a couple of weeks ago that when it comes to situations between presidents, I am merely a spectator. Between coaches, yes; between presidents, no," José Mourinho concluded, distancing himself from the problems between the rivals, while stating that it is not a matter in which Benfica should intervene.

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