Prestianni, Porto penalty: Mourinho on Gil Vicente v Benfica | OneFootball

Almost two weeks after his last press conference, José Mourinho broke his silence. In the lead-up to the match against Gil Vicente, the Benfica coach answered questions, speaking about the squad, the controversy with Sidny Cabral, and made his position clear on the Prestianni case. Check out everything the Special One had to say.

Gil Vicente has surprised opponents at home. What are you expecting?

"Gil Vicente? There's not much to say, they've had an extraordinary season. They're in 5th place. They've done a great structural job with a coach who knows how to get the best out of his players. We expect a tough match, and I hope it's only tough because of the opponent. The team is doing well. Not great, because we were knocked out of the Champions League. Bruma suffered a fairly significant injury. Sudakov is still recovering, so both players are out."

Lopes Cabral's request to Vini Jr at the end of the game against Real Madrid. What was it like watching the game from the outside?

"The shirt swap, I don't think it's something to criticize, but it could have been avoided. I think it's normal for players to swap shirts in games that mark their careers, especially with players they identify with and who are at a stratospheric level, but I think it could have been avoided. As for being out, it was frustrating, but I knew I had a prepared team. I watched the game on the bus, with all the technology and four screens at my disposal. What I missed was all the adrenaline of the game."

Your analysis of Porto's penalty in the game against Arouca?

"I didn't see it. Did you see it? What's your opinion (journalist replies: 'I don't think it was'). Good thing you're honest, that's why we're friends. I didn't see it."

Your absence from press conferences and your future.

"I wasn't at the conference because it's a principle I've always had. If you're prevented from being with the team. João Tralhão is a coach like me. Every word he says is like a word from me. It's just like your editor-in-chief trusts you when he sends you here. It's a principle I have and everyone knows I've always taken the same position when I've been suspended. Future? You have to ask president Rui Costa. The clause is just a way to make leaving easier. At the time, I called it a clause of ethics and respect for the election candidates, and now it's the ease clause. As for the standings, there's a real one and a virtual one; if we look at the points from what's happened, we know the real one would be very different."

Sudakov's trip to Madrid and Ivanovic on the left.

"I'll answer your question, but first I have to say that I usually anticipate the questions you're going to ask me and I expected different ones today because I thought you'd talk about the tsunami we've been hit by. I'll get ahead of it and say that I reject any kind of discrimination, prejudice, and ignorance. I also advise everyone to read the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and say that criticism reflects more on those who make it than on the one criticized. As for the question, I think we should highlight that this team went from being humiliated at home by Qarabag to being eliminated this way by Real Madrid. Regarding the specifics of your question, Sudakov was injured for Madrid and only went to Madrid because in the Champions League we have more spots on the bench. Lukebakio isn't injured, but he also didn't play because, according to our tests, he could only be used in the last ten minutes if we needed a goal, considering we had the problem of him possibly having to play in extra time. Sometimes people talk about things without knowing what's behind them. As for Ivanovic, I wanted more speed and presence in the box. I could give more detail, but Benfica doesn't pay me to give you explanations."

Do you want to stay at Benfica next year? You only have one competition: how will you manage the squad?

"There's one thing I control, which is my will and my emotions. You're all good professionals, but sometimes you let important things slip through your fingers. After the issues with the Real Madrid games, you clung to the idea that I had missed an opportunity to return to Real Madrid, you missed a sign or didn't have the skill to catch it. You asked me if it was possible to say 'no' and I said it was. Do you think I could say no to Florentino if I wanted to go back to Real Madrid? I have many flaws, but do you think I'm stupid? I was clear that I wanted to stay. You just didn't want to catch my objectivity. I was the one who said between the lines that I wanted to stay, but you didn't catch it. But I want to stay to play just one league, I don't want to play two—the real one and the virtual one. Right now we're playing two, the real and the virtual, and I only want to play one. Because I don't like playing two leagues. But I want to stay and respect my contract with Benfica. If they want to renew, I'll renew without discussing a single comma. But I only want to play one league, I don't want to play two."

The Prestianni-Vini case and Real Madrid:

"I love Álvaro [Arbeloa] and I will continue to love him, but I think I took the right position. I said I wanted to take a stand without defending one or attacking the other. I said I didn't want to wear either the white shirt of Real or the red one of Benfica in a situation that could potentially be serious. That's why I say read the Declaration of Human Rights and I reject any discrimination or prejudice. And I'll also tell you that if it's proven that my player didn't respect those principles, which are mine and Benfica's, that player's career with coach Mourinho and with Benfica is over. I'm not a scholar, but I'm not ignorant either. I presume innocence and always add an 'if.' Unfortunately, UEFA, to remove the player from the game, preferred to look at article 416328 to take him out of the game, and they decided not to consider any 'ifs.' If the player is actually guilty, I won't look at him the same way again and with me, it's over. But I have to put a lot of 'ifs' in front."

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