Jose Mourinho hints at Benfica exit as he claims Prestianni’s ‘career will end’ on one condition | OneFootball

Benfica boss Jose Mourinho has hinted that he could leave the Liga Portugal side, while he has offered a fresh verdict on Gianluca Prestianni.

Mourinho was sacked by Turkish giants Fenerbahce at the start of this campaign but quickly returned to management with Benfica.

The former Manchester United, Spurs and Chelsea manager has won 20 of his 34 games in charge of Benfica, though they have exited the Champions League at the hands of Real Madrid and sit third in Liga Portugal.

Benfica will move seven points adrift of table-toppers Porto if they beat Gil Vicente on Monday night, though Mourinho has hinted at his unhappiness at the club.

Speaking on Sunday, Mourinho has lamented the poor officiating in Liga Portugal, with this ensuring that there are two league tables: “real and virtual”, with the latter determined by referees making the correct decisions.

“There are real and virtual classifications. The real one is the one that counts, but, if we want to hold on to the virtual one, there is a fundamental difference,” Mourinho said on Sunday.

The real one is the real one, but, as a leader of a group, I have to hold on also to the virtual one and that is a motivation for us. We know perfectly well what has been happening.”

Mourinho has also hinted that this issue could lead to him leaving Benfica in the near future.

“I want to stay at Benfica, but with a championship that is unique and where there aren’t two,” Mourinho added

“I don’t like playing at the same time the real and virtual championship. At this moment, we are playing two.

“I want to respect my contract with Benfica and if Benfica wants to stay with me for more years, I’ll sign without adding a single comma, but I don’t want to play two championships anymore.”

Mourinho has also made the headlines for backing Benfica star Gianluca Prestianni after the player was accused of racially abusing Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior during the sides’ recent Champions League play-off first leg.

Mourinho has rightly been heavily criticised for taking this stance, but he has now backtracked somewhat and claimed that Prestianni’s career under him “will come to an end” if he is proven guilty of abusing Vinicius Jr.

“If my player did not respect these principles, which are mine and Benfica’s as well, then that player’s career with a coach named Jose Mourinho and at a club named Benfica will come to an end,” Mourinho claimed.

“I am not a scholar, but I am not ignorant either. The presumption of innocence is a human right, isn’t it?

“I stand by my opinion. If the player is indeed guilty, I will never look at him the way I looked at him before, and with me, it’s over.