Very good match, Estoril and contract: Mourinho after Benfica v Braga | OneFootball

Benfica made their Champions League qualification hopes more complicated after conceding another draw at the Estádio da Luz, this time against Braga (2-2). At the end of the match, José Mourinho held his post-match press conference, where he analyzed the clash against the Minho side, lamented the Eagles’ lack of finishing, and also addressed his future. Here is everything the Special One said.

What feelings do you leave this game with?

"Those feelings, that Benfica played a good game — I just won’t say a very good one because we didn’t win. A game we deserved to win, but finishing matters. I think they must have had two shots on target, we had around ten. We had many chances to score. I think it was a good game from both a collective and individual point of view. Against an opponent that is good at not letting itself be dominated, we were much stronger but didn’t win. You almost, almost lose an objective. My feeling is one of satisfaction regarding the effort. I’m not leaving here disappointed."

On March 1 you said you wanted to stay... After everything that has happened, would you sign now?

"No. Because March 1 is March 1, and the last week of the league season is not a time to think about the future, about contracts, it’s a time to think about the mission we had, which was to perform a miracle. I think you understand what I mean by miracle. From the moment we entered this final phase, I decided I didn’t want to hear from anyone, that I wanted to be 'isolated' in my workspace. As I said a couple of weeks ago, there is a game against Estoril and from Monday onward I will be able to answer what my future as a coach will be and what Benfica’s future will be,"

Angry with the players?

"I think it is very difficult to do what they have done. They never lost their line of commitment, professionalism, and resilience. I think the fact that we are one matchday away and the team has not collapsed reflects the team’s character. We had a couple of games where, through our own fault — there were a couple of games I didn’t like and the players didn’t either. We played extraordinary matches, the game against Sporting was extraordinary, and today I think there were periods when they pushed Braga back. It is hard to feel these things and keep fighting. It isn’t easy and I give them credit for that. Obviously there is criticism, there will be negative adjectives aimed at the team and the players, but one thing is what people say and another is what we feel. In terms of attitude, I repeat, also in terms of quality and humility, this is an untouchable group, one I really enjoyed, I always went to training happy. It is a good group of men."

Will the result of the next matchday influence the decision about your future?

"No. I’m talking about Benfica, you’re talking about Real. For me, the work we have done will not change whether we finish 2nd or 3rd. That is not what will influence it. Of course Benfica wants to play in the Champions League and I also prefer that, but it has no influence,"

Dahl in the Swedish national team, squad announcement tomorrow...:

"I don’t know. That’s not for me. It’s for Potter. He has improved a lot. He’s not Sweden’s Roberto Carlos, but he is a good player, a good man, one of those players coaches always respect, but the decision is Potter’s."

What affected Benfica the most today?

"The difference in efficiency between one team and the other. Andreas [Schjelderup] played a devastating game, but we were not efficient in turning what we created into goals. I don’t want to say we were perfect defensively, but we conceded a goal from outside the box and from a cross where I don’t know whether we could have done more. I didn’t hear it, but it is hard for me to believe that Carlos said anything different from what I said. He is a fantastic lad. He must have emphasized the effort of his players. Under normal circumstances Benfica would have scored 3 or 4 goals and would have won the game."

Don’t the fans deserve an answer about your future, or is it for someone else to give?

"Of course it is up to me to give the answer. Have you ever seen me hide from my decisions? Now, no one should force me to communicate decisions, because I decide the timing. I’m not in a position to answer you. In my head, from the moment people started talking about possibilities, there was only winning and doing the best possible. The respect Benfica deserves, the respect my profession deserves. No one should touch that, unless it is some idiot who does. No one should go there. I have the right to isolate myself. I have not spoken to anyone from another club. I have not spoken to anyone from any club. It made no sense to do anything other than focus. It doesn’t sound like a goodbye, it sounds like the respect I have for them, it sounds like a pre-emptive defense. Football has these things — for them to be criticized today seems very unfair to me. When I criticized them after Casa Pia, it came from the heart. Today, when people think Benfica will finish third, is the day I have to defend them because I think they deserve it. I don’t want to start next season suspended. I decided to stop here. I will stop here. It already happened to me at Roma, starting a season with a suspension from the previous one. It is not a good situation. It is not good. For me and for my club, calm down. There is only one week left..."

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