Everything José Mourinho said ahead of Benfica v Estoril 👀 | OneFootball

The first game of 2026 is just around the corner and José Mourinho is confident for the duel against Estoril. In Seixal, the Benfica coach answered journalists' questions, clarifying his point of view on the title race, the presence of Sidny Cabral, and other important topics. Check out everything that was said.

It's the first game of 2026: what opponent are you expecting to face?

"The importance of this game is as always. The goal is to win every game, and when that doesn't happen, it's negative. Estoril is a good team and a difficult one. They play very interesting football, not to praise them even more, but I could. Among the teams not playing in Europe, which means a week of work and development with a good coach like Ian Cathro. It's a team that is calm on the table and will want to achieve a good result."

How do you foresee what's coming?

"The teams that play against us have advantages because they have full weeks to work and don't accumulate as much fatigue. Among the teams in Europe, we are also in the most difficult situation with the wonderful schedule we've got, after Newcastle, now comes Real Madrid and Juventus. In our case, very honestly, many changes mean a decrease in our game. If you ask me if I'm going to do a pre-Braga against Estoril, no, I can't do that, I have to go at full strength against Estoril and think game by game."

Title chances:

"Maybe people don't think like me, but for me, the transition of the calendar means absolutely nothing. New Year's Eve, the raisins, the underwear, that means nothing to me. Regarding the championship, I cling to mathematics because there are still many points in dispute. And I cling to the fact that we are the only team that hasn't lost in Portuguese competitions yet. We are not a team from another world, but we are a hard team to beat, with our strengths and weaknesses. Then, having only lost one game in 14, with Bayer, in a game where we also dominated the opponent, gives me strength to continue. We can't forget that your success also depends on others. Porto is having an extraordinary first half that doesn't give a chance even to those who are doing well. If this Porto were last year's, we would have other chances."

Fear of refereeing?

"I never fear refereeing. Honestly, I don't even know who the referee for the Estoril game is. I never have problems with referees before the games. Of course, after the games, there are analyses to be made and things I can say. I personally would never veto a referee. I believe that whoever comes to our game comes to do good. If you ask me about the Sporting-Gil Vicente game, I can't say because I'm not playing."

Lopes Cabral will be an option against Estoril:

"He will be on the bench. He is not in condition to start because he hasn't trained with the team for some time. But he is an option, he can play in various positions. He is happy, a good boy, and I think he will end up playing."

Have rivals been stronger?

"If Porto had drawn two games, it would be normal, but what they are doing is abnormal. If Sporting hadn't had the luck of occasionally getting a corner wrong that led to a draw, they would also be closer to us. Benfica, under normal conditions, would have also beaten Braga - today I put aside the dark humor - and would have beaten Casa Pia - I think the referee will be the same for Sporting-Gil Vicente. Self-assessment? I think it's positive, we lost points with Casa Pia and Braga in the way it happened, and we drew with Sporting, which is normal, so we are doing well."

Does Benfica handle teams that play more openly like Estoril better?

"If they do what they did to Sporting, it won't be easy because I don't know what's easier, facing teams that press high or those that play in a low block."

Did you expect to have a winger by now?

"I handle this time with tranquility and know well what we need. The structure is working, and Simão and Mário Branco are working, and a player with those characteristics will arrive."

Which player is more needed: Wesley, Rafa Silva, or André Luiz?

"I won't comment on those rumors because I would be talking about players who are not ours. I leave that work to the agents, to the clubs that want to be sellers, and to some commentators who live off talking about the market. About those three names, the only thing I can say is that I know them. Because now the name of a player has come up, Batagov, whom I didn't even know, so they forced me to look up Batagov. I understand how things work, but at least try to be more balanced, as you were, talking about three names that I know."

What is Obrador's role in the team? Do you expect departures?

"One of the players who has grown a lot in the team with me was Dahl. I only remember two mistakes - at Bayern and the 'little penalty' against Braga. Then I remember great games, always solid defensively. He made important assists, scored important goals. He scored the winning goal in Braga, now yes, returning to dark humor. He is very strong in recovery and indeed hasn't given many chances. Then, when it was time to launch someone, I opted for José Neto, who deserved it after what he did in the World Cup. If you ask me if Obrador is a good player, I say he is. He has potential, has things to improve, but Dahl doesn't give a chance. As for Henrique Araújo, the team is very adapted to Pavlidis and then suffers with the situation of Ivanovic, who arrived with the train in motion. He is a player who involved a great investment, and the coach has to help show the quality he has, which has appeared at times. As for loans in progress, Mário Branco is on top of that, and certainly, there are players who will leave by the end of January, even for the good of the players who need minutes."

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