Mourinho’s friend slams Benfica boss: Didn’t lift a finger | OneFootball

Benfica's performance against Braga, in the semi-final, continues to be a topic of discussion, now voiced by Eládio Paramés, a close friend of José Mourinho. In an opinion piece in Record, Paramés believes the coach was spot on in describing the team's performance as “horrible on all levels, mentally and technically”, highlighting “unbelievable” mistakes that did not go unnoticed by anyone.

“Mourinho didn't say anything that we all hadn't seen: incredible mistakes, even unworthy of amateur teams and players. And he said something much more important, considering that the conversation he had with the players in the locker room was a monologue and not a dialogue. This is a worrying statement, as it may indicate a lack of dialogue/commitment between the coach and the players. We will see if it was a sporadic moment or if this silence persists,” thus characterized the attitude of the Eagles' coach.

“But there is one point that for me was even more important than all of this, especially because I know Mourinho well: it was noticing the coach's impassibility on the bench during these miserable minutes of his team. It was strange to see that, until halftime, the Benfica coach did not lift a finger to change the course of events, seeming more like what he had on the bench gave him very little or no confidence,” he wrote.

Paramés questions whether this stance results from a lack of confidence in the available options: “Aside from his direct responsibilities, no one sees them, because Seixal is a bunker. Mourinho may have his reasons, but aren't there any youngsters with a minimum of quality to go out there and at least sweat for the team? Mourinho is not a coach who settles in the face of difficulties. On the contrary, he is capable of taking risks and surprising with bold decisions, and it is this 'immobility' that I do not understand.”

Familiar with the coach's profile, the author admits to being puzzled by what he describes as “immobility”: Yesterday, perhaps it would have sufficed to change just a couple of them. But he didn't. And Mourinho was never like this! Why? It is the question that arises and to which only he can answer.

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