Mourinho Causes Storm in the Dressing Room: “They Live Superficially, Lack Personality!” — What’s Really Happening in the Dressing Room?

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After Benfica’s 1-1 draw with Casa Pia, which saw them fall behind in the Portuguese league title race, manager Jose Mourinho unleashed his anger on his players.

“Currently, there are some players I no longer want to see on the pitch,” Mourinho said after the April 7th match. “I simply don’t want them to continue playing, but they are still a valuable part of the club. Even if I wanted to sell them, I would still let them play to maintain their transfer value. Some seem to have lost touch with reality, as if they don’t live for football.”

In the April 7th draw against Casa Pia – a team battling relegation – Benfica held possession for over 70% and scored first. With the 1-1 result, Mourinho’s team remains the only undefeated team after 28 rounds in the Portuguese league, but they have dropped to third place in the standings with nine draws. With only six rounds remaining in the season, and trailing league leaders Porto by seven points, Benfica have virtually no hope of winning the title.

“Benfica has lost its last chance to compete for the championship, no longer having the right to compete for the title until the end,” Mourinho added. “The team has also lost control of its destiny in the race for a top-two finish to qualify for the Champions League – something that was previously completely within our grasp. The draw not only cost Benfica two points, but much more than that.”

According to the Portuguese strategist, Benfica has paid the price for too many draws due to both subjective and objective factors. He focused on the players’ mindset, categorizing the squad into two opposing groups.

“There are players who crave victory, and there are also those who seem too superficial,” Mourinho commented. “That makes me very sad. They are not bad people or poor players, but they seriously lack character. I have managed for 34 years, and I have seen many players lacking that kind of character.”

Besides internal issues, Mourinho also mentioned external factors that significantly impacted the league, particularly refereeing, which often involved opponents feigning injuries to waste time. However, despite the difficulties, Mourinho affirmed his desire to continue his journey at Benfica. “Jorge Mendes is my agent, but I am the master of my own decisions and I want to stay,” Mourinho said.

Mourinho is set to leave Fenerbahce to manage Benfica in 2025. Under his leadership, Benfica remains the only team in major European leagues to maintain an unbeaten record this season. They are just six matches away from achieving a historic unbeaten streak in the Portuguese Primeira Liga.