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

Benfica complicated their bid to qualify for the Champions League after conceding another draw at the Estádio da Luz, this time against Braga (2-2). At the end of the match, José Mourinho gave his post-match press conference, where he analysed the clash against the side from Minho, lamented Benfica’s lack of finishing, and also addressed his future. Here is everything the Special One said.

What feelings do you take away from this game?

"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 had 2 shots on target, we had around 10. We had many chances to score. I think it was a good game both collectively and individually. 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 with the effort. I’m not leaving here feeling let down."

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

"No. Because 1 March is 1 March, and the final week of the league season is not the time to think about the future, about contracts — it’s the 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 stage, I decided I didn’t want to hear 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 onwards I’ll 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’s very difficult to do what they’ve done. They never lost their commitment, professionalism, or resilience. I think the fact that we are one round from the end and the team still hasn’t lost reflects the team’s character. We had a couple of games where it was our fault; there were a couple of games that neither I nor the players liked. We played extraordinary matches — the game against Sporting was extraordinary — and today I think there were periods when they pushed Braga back. It’s hard to feel things and keep fighting. It’s not 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’s a good group of men."

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

"No. I’m talking about Benfica, you’re talking about Real. The work we’ve done, for me, won’t change whether we finish 2nd or 3rd. That’s not what will influence it. Of course Benfica want to play in the Champions League and I’d prefer that too, 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’s 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 finishing between one team and the other. Andreas [Schjelderup] played a devastating game, but we lacked the finishing to turn 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 if we could have done any more. I didn’t hear it, but it’s hard for me to believe Carlos said anything different from what I said. He’s a fantastic lad. He must have emphasised the effort of his players. Under normal circumstances Benfica would have scored 3 or 4 goals and won the game."

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

"Of course it’s for 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, ever since people started talking about possibilities, the only thing was to win and do the best possible. The respect Benfica deserve, the respect my profession deserves. No one should touch that, unless it’s some idiot who does. No one should go there. I have the right to isolate myself. I haven’t spoken to anyone from another club. I haven’t 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 an early defence. Football has these things — for them to be criticised today seems very unfair to me. When I criticised them after Casa Pia, it came from the heart. Today, when it is the day people think Benfica will finish third, it 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’m going to stop here. It already happened to me at Roma, starting a season with a suspension from the previous one. It’s not a good situation. It’s not good. For me and for my club, calm down. There’s only one week left..."

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