Home team draws disappointingly, Mourinho angrily criticizes the referee immediately

Coach Jose Mourinho expressed frustration towards the referee after a regrettable draw against Rio Ave.

Benfica managed only one point in their away match at Rio Ave, conceding an equalizer in the final minutes despite showing improvement in the second half. Coach Jose Mourinho clearly showed his disappointment with the result and was upset about Antonio Silva’s goal being disallowed following a collision involving Otamendi.

In the post-match press conference, Mourinho did not hesitate to criticize the referee’s management, suggesting that football is gradually losing its sense of fairness: “We scored a goal, but if this is the new football, where a goal is canceled just because one toe touches another toe… then I don’t like this kind of football.

But if that’s the rule, we have to accept it. We tried hard, created many chances, and scored another goal. Yet, at the moment when we couldn’t afford to concede, we made a mistake. That is truly unfair.”

The Portuguese coach admitted Benfica played below their level in the first half but showed a completely different face after the break: “Our first half was poor, but the second half was good. The team dominated, played aggressively, always on the opponent’s side. The two substitutes made a clear difference.

We attacked more, pressed faster, and played with more depth. Unfortunately, in just one counterattack, we dropped two points.”

Mourinho also pointed out that Rio Ave’s tight defensive setup with a 5-4-1 formation made it difficult for Benfica to develop their attack: “They defended in numbers, making it very hard to break through. They didn’t create much, except for a beautiful goal that we must praise Andre Luiz for.

Benfica isn’t strong in aerial duels, so we had to find other ways. In the first half, we lacked width due to the characteristics of some players. After the changes in the second half, the team had more options.”

According to Mourinho, if Benfica had won in the final minutes, it would have been a huge morale boost. But conceding late had the opposite effect: “That’s football. We couldn’t win this game, but we can win the next one. That’s what I told the players.”

With this draw, Benfica missed the chance to close the gap with the leading group. Although unhappy, Mourinho emphasized the fighting spirit in the second half as a foundation for the team’s comeback in the next match.