Ahead of Ajax v Benfica, José Mourinho on Ivanovic: Attitude | OneFootball

José Mourinho spoke again about the Franjo Ivanovic case. In the press conference, previewing the clash with Ajax, the Benfica coach sought to explain, for the last time, what happened with the Croatian forward. According to the Portuguese, his decision in the Portuguese Cup match had nothing to do with the player's attitude.

Present at the press conference, where Vangelis Pavlidis had already answered journalists, José Mourinho did not like being questioned about the match against Atlético: "When you keep hammering on the same thing, I don't like it, but I understand. When you lie, that deeply bothers me."

"If there's a player who works hard and if there's a player who gives everything in training or matches - the substitution had nothing to do with attitude - it's Ivanovic," said José Mourinho, defending his number 9, who has been the target of much criticism.

Following this, José Mourinho reiterated that he never doubted Franjo Ivanovic's abilities, offering some praise: "He is an extraordinary guy who works so hard. Things are not going well for him, but he is an extraordinary guy and untouchable from a professional standpoint."

"One thing is to comment, another is to invent. When things are invented about players who are dear to me, it hurts," concluded the Special One, in response to the question about Franjo Ivanovic's situation in recent times with the Benfica jersey.

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