Mourinho on Vitória v Benfica: elections, transfers, Bruno Lage | OneFootball

Elections, market, Bruno Lage, Bernardo Silva, Pedro Ferreira or Mário Branco: these were some of the main topics highlighted in José Mourinho’s preview of Benfica’s trip to Vitória de Guimarães, scheduled for next Saturday at 8:30 PM at Estádio D. Afonso Henriques. Check all the information about the match.

“My words have been distorted, because I never said 'I want' or 'I demand.' I have always been very objective, I haven’t asked the President for players, I don’t have a list, nothing that could provoke discussion among the candidates about what the coach asks for or might ask for. Not even on January 1st will I address this topic, I’m here to improve my players and then we’ll see.”

“Bruno Lage once, perhaps defending himself from some of your comments, said that Leandro Barreiro is not a defensive midfielder. He was right, he’s a player who, when given freedom, can play as a number 10, and when Richard came on, he started playing more offensively.”

“I don’t want to talk about Pedro, Mário or Bernardo. I’ve held up so well, defended myself so well from your provocations, I’ll keep holding up until the end. I’m going to focus on V. Guimarães, Bayer Leverkusen, Casa Pia. I’d like to win the 39th and 40th, especially because I’d like to win the 9th and 10th [championships won in my career]. If the 40th came at the same time as the 10th, it would be perfect!”

“The players who need to be woken up to the reality of playing in Guimarães are those who arrived this season. I have an understanding of what my home league is like. Those are the ones who need to be woken up, the others know it’s difficult. It’s a good team, always fighting for the top spots in the table, and they are aware of that.”

“For me, players don’t have an age. I haven’t been here long, I try to get to know them as much as possible. The B team is the one closest to us, with players coming to play with me, watching the training sessions, I get to know them. If I have to bring in a 16 or 17-year-old player, I will. Instead of taking a nap, I go watch training, get to know the kids as much as possible because it’s part of Benfica’s culture.”

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