Mourinho on Benfica surprise: I was honest with myself | OneFootball

Benfica hosts Rio Ave next Tuesday, September 23rd, in what will be the make-up match for the first round of the Liga Portugal, which was delayed due to the eagles' Champions League qualification games. In the preview of the match, José Mourinho analyzed the new phase that the Club is going through under his command.

"As an opponent, I was honest with myself in assuming that I was playing against a good team. If you compare the playoff games with the last two or three games there is a little contradiction, but Benfica has good things that came from the past," José Mourinho began by telling journalists.

Next, the Portuguese coach sought to focus on the present: "It is not my intention to look for negative things from the past. There is good work done by those who were here before. But we coaches are different, it's important that players embrace new ideas."

Regarding the adaptation of his squad to his orders, José Mourinho was positive: "The players who stay and transition also have to adapt to the new coach, so I always said that we were going to introduce things slowly. I have the feeling that they are embracing my way of working and leading."

Finally, José Mourinho highlighted the emotional bond he has been building with his Benfica players, also addressing the tactical side: "We are not a group of best friends, but we are building something important from a human point of view. From a tactical point of view it has to be little by little."

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