Mourinho Expresses Frustration Over Controversial Refereeing in Benfica vs. Braga Match

Benfica and Braga played to a 2-2 draw on Sunday evening, but José Mourinho was notably frustrated with several contentious refereeing decisions. His team had initially taken the lead at 1-0 when a penalty was awarded for handball, allowing Braga to equalize. Later, with the score tied at 2-2, a potential winner for Braga was disallowed due to a questionable foul call.

In the sequence leading to the disallowed goal, a blocked cross appeared to strike a Braga player’s hand. The ball fell to defender Vitor Carvalho, who aimed to clear it but was pressured by Richard Rios. After a shoulder challenge, Rios regained possession and passed to Samuel Dahl, who scored. However, the referee, inexplicably, blew the whistle for a foul, a decision that was upheld by VAR. Although Braga did receive a red card for two yellow cards late in the match, this did little to alleviate Mourinho’s anger at the officiating.

Known for his pointed critiques of referees, Mourinho opted for sarcasm in his post-match comments. He stated, “Without humor, I congratulate SC Braga on many things. I commend the president for the impressive training center, the team for their quality, the coach for building a strong side, and the fans for their vibrant atmosphere. Regarding the game, I view it as a significant victory for us. We had a strong first half, although we conceded two goals due to our own errors. In the second half, we dominated, scoring two goals, and winning in Braga is always a challenge, especially after trailing.”

When a journalist corrected him about the scoreline, Mourinho quipped, “We won 3-2! That’s the football we have. I strive to do my best and dedicate myself fully. I am not completely satisfied, as I couldn’t implement my strategy for the full 90 minutes. But we won 3-2, just to clarify, I speak ironically to avoid penalties.

“As for the club’s response to refereeing, that is beyond my purview. My role is to train the team and assess our performance. Given that we just played Braga, I won’t delve into a detailed tactical analysis. It was a good match and the referee officiated well overall, yet crucial decisions like these often determine the outcome of games, as we witnessed.”

Mourinho expressed particular dissatisfaction with VAR’s support of the referee’s on-field decisions. He remarked, “Indeed. We scored three legitimate goals. While I appreciated the overall officiating, with a few yellow cards and some questionable stoppages that disrupted the game’s flow, the defining mistake was made under the scrutiny of VAR. It’s curious how some clubs win consistently despite errors while others lose points due to them. We have a long season ahead, and I wanted to depart with the satisfaction of knowing we managed to turn the match around.”

Mourinho will next have the opportunity to evaluate the quality of refereeing in the Portuguese league when Benfica faces Estoril on Saturday. Currently, Benfica sits third in the league standings, having recorded ten wins and six draws across their sixteen matches, remaining unbeaten yet trailing Porto by ten points, who have secured fifteen wins and one draw.