Jose Mourinho has instructed Benfica’s critics to point out “respect” and admitted that at one level he had “no concept” whether or not his facet required the last-gasp objective they scored to achieve the Champions League knockout part play-offs with a win over Actual Madrid.
Mourinho’s new facet have been set to exit of the competitors on objectives scored on the ultimate night time of the league part earlier than goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin headed the essential 98th-minute objective because the Portuguese membership beat the 15-time European champions 4-2 at residence.
Trubin GOALKEEPER GOAL 🤯
Astonishing Dragomir strike 😮
Left-footed shot João Pedro 😎
Chic Dimarco free-kick 🎯#UCLGOTD | @Heineken pic.twitter.com/uqXTxOfOcW— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) January 28, 2026
“The one factor I’d like this victory to deliver is somewhat little bit of respect,” stated Mourinho (through A Bola), who returned in September to the membership the place he first turned a supervisor.
“I enchantment to many of those folks to not… leap off balconies. Settle down. Benfica will lose and they’ll kill us once more. The one factor I’d like is somewhat little bit of respect for Benfica and for the gamers.”
Benfica vs Madrid: Trubin Champions League heroics
Mourinho has received the Champions League with Porto and Inter however was sacked by Fenerbahce earlier this season after they misplaced to Benfica in qualifying to achieve the league part.
Trubin’s objective despatched them to a play-off tie in opposition to Madrid or Inter to achieve the spherical of 16, with their opponents determined by a draw on Friday.
“Once I introduced on [Franjo] Ivanovic and Antonio [Silva in the 93rd minute], I had no concept if 3-2 was sufficient,” conceded Mourinho.
The Trubin Present 😲🤯😱🫢#UCL pic.twitter.com/HGpdqNm2Rc
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) January 28, 2026
“I had no indication. They got here on to safe the victory. Once we realised it wasn’t sufficient, I despatched [defender] Nico [Otamendi ] to play up entrance.
“I couldn’t make any extra substitutions. When the foul got here [to give us an opportunity], I despatched Trubin ahead. [Samuel] Dahl stayed in midfield… the little man stayed again as a result of successful was all the time essential.”
Mourinho: Champions League win vs Actual Madrid ‘historic’
Mourinho led Madrid between 2010 and 2013 and is now getting ready to one other assembly with the workforce at present managed by Alvaro Arbeloa following Xabi Alonso’s sacking earlier this month.
“Profitable in opposition to Real Madrid all the time has vital weight,” stated the 63-year-old. “This victory is historic. It’s essential from an financial perspective and much more so from a status perspective.
“I bear in mind successful or shedding within the final minute, which has had occurred to me a number of occasions. However this [was a] state of affairs the place you’re successful, it’s not sufficient, then you definately assume it’s and it isn’t.
“You must change issues and take dangers as a result of, in the long run, this [situation] may have [ended in] it [being] 3-3 and we might nonetheless have been eradicated.”
When is the Champions League knockout part?
- Knockout part play-offs: February 17/18 & 24/25 2026
- Spherical of 16: March 10/11 & 17/18 2026
- Quarter-finals: April 7/8 & 14/15 2026
- Semi-finals: April 28/29 and Might 5/6 2026
- Closing: Might 30 2026 (Budapest)
When are the Champions League attracts?
- Knockout part play-offs: January 30 2026
- Spherical of 16, quarter-final, semi-final and last: February 27 2026
When is the Champions League last?
The ultimate will happen on Might 30 2026 on the The Puskas Enviornment in Budapest, which opened in 2019 and is residence to Hungary’s nationwide workforce.
The world hosted a dramatic 2022/23 Europa League last, when Sevilla beat Roma on penalties following a 1-1 draw after further time.
Why did Fenerbahce sack Jose Mourinho?
After ending 11 factors behind champions Galatasaray in second in Mourinho’s first marketing campaign in Turkiye, Fenerbahce began this season with a 0-0 draw at Goztepe, who received promotion in 2023/24 and got here eighth final season.
They overturned a 2-1 first-leg deficit to beat Feyenoord of their first Champions League qualifying tie courtesy of a 5-2 win at residence, however the immediacy of Mourinho’s departure urged their defeat to Benfica within the subsequent spherical determined his destiny.
Turkiye winger Kerem Akturkoglu, who joined Benfica from Galatasaray in 2024, scored the decisive objective within the thirty fifth minute of the return leg, consigning Fenerbahce the Europa League.
In between their contests with Benfica, Fenerbahce secured their first league win of the season by beating Kocaelispor 3-1 at residence, though the promoted guests had misplaced their first two video games with out scoring.
Mourinho completed with a report of 37 victories, 14 attracts and 11 defeats in 62 matches with Fenerbahce, reaching a win proportion of just below 60.
Jose Mourinho stats, Fenerbahce report
A 118th-minute second-leg objective by guests Lille knocked Fenerbahce out of Champions League qualifying in Mourinho’s first season they usually have been the final workforce to qualify for the Europa League knockout part play-offs, advancing on objective distinction in 18th after successful two of their eight league part matches.
A 5-2 win over Andelecht took them to the final 16 however a 3-1 residence defeat to Rangers then proved expensive as they have been knocked out at Ibrox on penalties following a 2-0 away win.
Fenerbahce have been unbeaten of their first 5 league matches beneath Mourinho however then misplaced 3-1 to Galatasaray in entrance of their largest residence crowd of the season of greater than 44,000 followers.
Galatasaray additionally knocked Fenerbahce out of the Turkish Cup because the visiting facet in a quarter-final that includes two crimson playing cards on both facet throughout added time.
Mourinho incessantly criticised refereeing in Turkiye and acquired a four-match ban – later diminished to 2 video games – for remarks about referees after a 0-0 draw at Galatasaray on February 24.
In a separate incident, Galatasaray stated they’d “provoke prison proceedings” in opposition to Mourinho and accused him of constructing “racist statements”.
He denied the allegations, describing himself because the “reverse” of racist and submitting a lawsuit in opposition to the membership in search of damages price round £41,000.
Jose Mourinho contract
Mourinho’s deal at Fenerbahce was price greater than £8m a yr, in line with ESPN on the time of his appointment.
Membership president Ali Y Koc referred to as Mourinho a dwelling legend and one of many 5 finest managers alive when he arrived and stated their first objective was to turn out to be Turkish champions.
“I wish to thanks all on your love,” Mourinho responded. “I’ve felt it because the first time my identify was linked with Fenerbahce.”
Jose Mourinho trophies
An eight-time top-flight champion throughout Portugal, England, Spain and Italy, Mourinho received the Champions League at Porto in 2003/04 and Inter in 2009/10.
He was a Premier League champion with Chelsea in 2004/05 and 2005/06, returning to triumph once more in 2014/15 throughout his second spell on the helm.
Mourinho’s two most up-to-date glories have been the 2016/17 Europa League title with Manchester United and the 2021/22 inaugural Convention League trophy with Roma.
