Mauro Xavier on Mourinho at Benfica, swipes at Rui Costa | OneFootball

Mauro Xavier believes that the blame for Benfica’s poor results cannot go unassigned. In statements to the newspaper A Bola, after being eliminated from the Portuguese Cup, the manager argues that José Mourinho still has the fans’ confidence, something that would not happen with another coach, and calls for changes from Rui Costa.

“The responsibilities must be shared by everyone — players, coaches, staff, and the Board. The blame cannot go unassigned. When we win, it’s everyone’s achievement as well. The only ones not to blame are the fans, who have been tireless in supporting the team. Aside from that, the structure needs to undertake a deep reflection,” Mauro Xavier begins by stating.

“We are in a cycle of three years of accumulating failures. Last season, we won the League Cup, reached the final of the Portuguese Cup, and fought for the title until the end. I don’t remember, in the 21st century, us being out of all three competitions in January,” the manager adds about the current state of the Eagles.

“This is Rui Costa’s fifth year in office, there are three more to go and we hope he can bring us three championship titles. That’s what we expect. We all want the same as Rui Costa, but he will have to do it with a different formula,” said Mauro Xavier, analyzing the former footballer’s leadership.

“Everyone must take responsibility, and that starts with the Board. Mourinho should also make changes; he has the support of the Benfiquistas, which another coach probably wouldn’t have. He needs to reflect and change in order to do things differently, beyond just stating that he is proud of the players and expects more,” concluded the well-known supporter of the Clube da Luz.

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