Rodrigo Roquette makes a request to Rui Costa after Benfica v Qarabag | OneFootball

Bruno Lage left the Luz field under a huge chorus of boos after the surprising defeat of Benfica against Qarabag, 3-2, in the first round of the Champions League group stage. Rodrigo Roquette, in an ironic tone, asked Rui Costa to keep the coach in charge of the eagles.

"Please don't fire Lage!! Stay calm! Breathe!! He will turn things around!!", wrote the well-known Sporting fan on the social network 'X' (formerly Twitter). As soon as the final whistle blew, many fans waved white handkerchiefs in the stands and called for the coach's departure.

Bruno Lage led the way towards the tunnel and was heavily booed. Meanwhile, the players following the coach were applauded. After the home draw against Santa Clara last Friday, counting for the fifth round of the League, the criticism surrounding the coach is increasing.

Meanwhile, Sporting returns to the field on Thursday, September 18, against Kairat Almaty. The match against the team led by Rafael Urazbakhtin, valid for the first round of the Champions League, will be played at Estádio José Alvalade and is scheduled to kick off at 8:00 PM.

Rui Silva and Geny Catamo, who missed the game in Famalicão due to physical issues, did not train this Tuesday, September 16, and remain doubtful. Besides this duo, Rui Borges has four confirmed absences: Ousmane Diomande, Hidemasa Morita, Nuno Santos, and Daniel Bragança.

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