Octávio Ribeiro calls out key Benfica figure’s “cautious approach” | OneFootball

Octávio Ribeiro believes that José Mourinho's speech upon arriving at Benfica was not ambitious. In an opinion article in the newspaper Record, the commentator and journalist analyzed the moment of the "encarnados" (Reds), sharing his opinion on the electoral climate at Clube da Luz, with several candidacies.

“The Benfica family is divided, as always happens when the leader faces elections without being consolidated. What is unprecedented is having four strong candidacies, fiercely competing, less than a month before the voting,” Octávio Ribeiro began, commenting on Benfica's elections.

“The new coach, José Mourinho, in a matter of days, crosses paths with two glorious colors from his past. Both in shades of blue. The revelation of a revolutionary coach happened in Porto, but it was at Chelsea that Mourinho established himself as the best coach in the world at the dawn of the millennium,” added Octávio Ribeiro, in the preview of the Champions League match.

“Setting aside this pre-election context, Benfica appears in José Mourinho's career at the right moment. When Rui Costa made this risky bet, the best coach from Setúbal had just been dismissed from leading Fenerbahçe, due to their elimination from the Champions League at the hands of his fellow countryman, the modest Bruno Lage,” defended Octávio Ribeiro.

“With a well-stocked squad – the most valuable in Portugal – but showing mental fatigue and uninspired football, Mourinho was expected to deliver a vigorous boost of morale. It was up to him to take the risk of announcing a future championship. Without hesitation, to aim for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. But so far, ‘The Special One’ has embraced a calculative approach that has kept him from glory,” concluded Octávio Ribeiro.

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