José Mourinho Blames Benfica Players for League Cup Loss, Suggests Staying at Training Base Until Further Notice
Benfica manager José Mourinho expressed his disappointment and frustration with his players after the team suffered a 3-1 defeat to Braga in the Portuguese League Cup semi-finals. The loss has dealt another blow to Mourinho's side, who already sit 10 points behind league leaders Porto.
Mourinho suggested that his players would stay at the club's Seixal training base until further notice, with no indication that they would leave before their next match against Porto. The manager also implied that he hopes his players don't sleep well after the loss, stating "I hope the players sleep as well as I do, which is to say that they don't sleep at all."
When asked about his team's performance in the first half, Mourinho described it as "awful and inexplicable." He criticized his players for their lack of effort and questioned their mentality. "There was so much sadness, it ended up being a monologue," he said.
Despite the loss, Mourinho refused to congratulate Braga on their win, saying "It wasn't Braga that won, it was us who lost."
The final of the League Cup will take place on Saturday, but Benfica will not be participating. Instead, Mourinho's side will start preparing for their Portuguese Cup quarter-final against Porto next week.
Benfica President Rui Costa downplayed the significance of the loss, stating that the team had already planned to stay at Seixal after the game as a precautionary measure for their upcoming matches. However, Mourinho's comments suggest that he is taking a more severe stance on the issue.
The loss marks another setback for Benfica, who have struggled in both the league and Champions League this season.
Benfica manager José Mourinho expressed his disappointment and frustration with his players after the team suffered a 3-1 defeat to Braga in the Portuguese League Cup semi-finals. The loss has dealt another blow to Mourinho's side, who already sit 10 points behind league leaders Porto.
Mourinho suggested that his players would stay at the club's Seixal training base until further notice, with no indication that they would leave before their next match against Porto. The manager also implied that he hopes his players don't sleep well after the loss, stating "I hope the players sleep as well as I do, which is to say that they don't sleep at all."
When asked about his team's performance in the first half, Mourinho described it as "awful and inexplicable." He criticized his players for their lack of effort and questioned their mentality. "There was so much sadness, it ended up being a monologue," he said.
Despite the loss, Mourinho refused to congratulate Braga on their win, saying "It wasn't Braga that won, it was us who lost."
The final of the League Cup will take place on Saturday, but Benfica will not be participating. Instead, Mourinho's side will start preparing for their Portuguese Cup quarter-final against Porto next week.
Benfica President Rui Costa downplayed the significance of the loss, stating that the team had already planned to stay at Seixal after the game as a precautionary measure for their upcoming matches. However, Mourinho's comments suggest that he is taking a more severe stance on the issue.
The loss marks another setback for Benfica, who have struggled in both the league and Champions League this season.
Like that's gonna make a difference 
. I mean, I get it, he's frustrated, but come on, "sleep like you do" is just cold 
. Benfica needs more than just motivational speeches to turn their season around 
. Porto's been cruising all season and now they're the ones looking dominant 
. Mourinho might wanna take a seat and let his team figure some stuff out before he starts making everyone sleepless 
Mourinho's all upset cuz they lost to braga, but I gotta say, 3-1 is a pretty big margin... he should just chill out and give his players some space, ya know? they're already stressed out from the season, no need for that kinda drama 
. and what's up with him suggestin' they stay at training base till further notice? like, what's next? tell 'em to live there forever? 
Mourinho sounds like he's really getting frustrated with his players. He's blaming them for the loss, saying they didn't put in enough effort and it was just not their day. 
I get that he's disappointed, but staying at training base until further notice might be a bit harsh? 
Maybe he should try to motivate them instead of isolating them? 
It's not the first time Benfica has struggled this season and it's gonna take more than just a few tough words from Mourinho to turn things around. 
i feel bad for benfica players, they're already struggling and now mourinho's being super harsh on them 
he needs to chill out and focus on getting his team back on track 
10 points behind Porto is a huge gap to close 
I can understand that the team needs to regroup and refocus, but Mourinho's approach is going to come across as pretty isolated 
From what I've seen, Benfica have already had some tough losses this season - maybe they just need a little more support from their manager? 
I mean, blaming his own players for the loss is just ridiculous. It's like he's not even trying to take responsibility as a manager 
That might not be good for their mental health 
Still, I hope Benfica can bounce back from this loss and get back on track 
I'm so done with Mourinho already! He's like the ultimate grump 
. His reaction to the game is so extra, I get it, they lost and all, but yelling at your own players? Not cool, man 
. Can't he just take responsibility for his own coaching decisions instead of blaming the players? 
It's also kinda sad when you think about the team's struggles this season... they need some support, not more criticism 
. The real question is, what's going on behind closed doors? Is there some major issue with the squad or was it just a one-off bad game? 
.
.
Staying at the training base until further notice? That's just gonna spread negativity and fatigue even more... Not exactly the best strategy for getting his team back on track 
The guy needs to take a deep breath and try to find solutions instead of blaming his players all the time 
