Mourinho on Ajax v Benfica: Champions League spot up for grabs | OneFootball

José Mourinho has no doubts that it will be a tough match. In a press conference, the Benfica coach acknowledged that the position in the league table is not favorable for either team and took the opportunity to praise the work that Fred Grim has been doing as coach of Ajax.

In the Johan Cruyff Arena press room, where he spoke about Manu Silva’s call-up, José Mourinho began by recognizing the qualities the opposing team possesses: “They have good players, a coach who knows them well.”

“He was already with them, he didn’t just arrive now. He identified principles in which the team can improve,” pointed out the Special One, speaking about the work Fred Grim has been doing at the helm of the Dutch side, after the dismissal of John Heitinga.

Although he acknowledged that the opponent is not going through a positive phase this season, the Benfica coach explained that this is not an important detail for preparing for the match: “I’m not focused on how they are playing.”

“If you look at us and see the results in the Champions League, they think the same. It will be a difficult match,” he added, justifying his point of view by recalling that Benfica is also in a situation similar to Ajax’s in the prestigious competition.

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