Benfica President calls for unity after Champions League hammering at Newcastle United | OneFootball

The Benfica President has reacted after Jose Mourinho’s side were hammered 3-0 by Newcastle United in the Champions League.

This made it three Champions League defeats in a row and by far the heaviest so far, after single goal margins in defeat against Qarabag and Chelsea.

It is a sensitive time for Rui Costa, who is the current Benfica President.

Benfica are a fan-owned club and Costa is up for re-election this weekend, at a time when the club isn’t performing well, having already sacked their manager last month, when Jose Mourinho then came in.

Official Benfica media release – 22 October 2025:

On Wednesday, October 22, Rui Costa, President of Sport Lisboa e Benfica, discussed the events of the match against Newcastle (3-0), referring to round 3 round of the Champions League, noting that “the team has what it takes to achieve its goals.”

The club’s leader, still on English soil, called for unity around the working group, recalling the constraints that are present this season due to the absence of preseason and vacations, with repercussions on physical breakdown at times of increased competitive acceleration.

ERRORS THAT COST DEARLY

“In the first half, we dominated the game for long periods and created chances to score. We could have gone into the break with a lead. Then, in a second half that will not be remembered fondly, we ended up suffering a heavy defeat. We are playing in the Champions League, and mistakes are made and paid for dearly in these situations.”

MESSAGE: ALL QUALIFICATION POSSIBILITIES

“The message to the fans is the same as for the players. We have zero points from three games in the Champions League, but we still have five more [games] to play. We have every chance of qualifying, which is why we will fight and do everything we can to stay in the competition.”

SUBSTITUTIONS ARE OPTIONS, NOT REQUIREMENTS

“I’m not going to discuss the coach’s choices, as is natural and as you understand. If he only made one substitution, it’s because he decided to make only one substitution. Substitutions are not mandatory, they are choices. Poorly constructed squad? We’ll talk about that internally, but I’m not going to discuss the coach’s choices. I repeat: substitutions are options, not obligations. José Mourinho has more than enough experience to know whether he needs to make one or ten, but he cannot make them.”

SLUMP AFTER 2-0

“Today, I’m not concerned about elections. Today and yesterday [Tuesday], I’ve been concerned about the Champions League game. It’s a heavy defeat, I repeat, with a second half that was not good at all and could have cost us even more. We need to review what we did in the game, what we did well in the first half for many minutes of the game, where we could have taken the lead. We had great chances and opportunities to take the lead, sharing the game with Newcastle. In the second half, especially after the second goal, the team broke down quite a bit, and you can’t break down in these games…”

ELECTION DAY, DAY OF UNITY

“I call for unity. As I have always said, this is a historic day for the Club. It is the most competitive election in the Club’s history. But during the 90 minutes against Arouca, let’s leave the elections outside the stadium and give the team the support it needs. It is important at this moment that everyone is united around the game.”

TEAM HAS THE VALUE TO ACHIEVE ITS GOALS

“This team has already done well this year, it has a good squad, it has great players, and because it is more physically exhausted than other teams, it also deserves that support. Without a preseason, without vacations, without everything, it’s natural that in many games… like yesterday’s [Tuesday], it seemed clear to me that when the game picked up speed, the team broke down more physically. People need to understand this too, even though it is not pleasant. I ask for the team’s support, regardless of the elections, because this team has the value to achieve the goals it wants to achieve.”