Jose Mourinho swamped by 200 Benfica fans ahead of training session

Mourinho joined Benfica in September last year after the club sacked Bruno Lage following a run of disappointing results. Despite a promising start, Benfica have failed to maintain consistency and now trail league leaders Porto by 10 points in the Primeira Liga, despite remaining unbeaten. In the Champions League, Mourinho guided the team to two wins but suffered a 2-0 defeat to Juventus.

With performances falling short of expectations, frustration among supporters has grown. According to Portuguese newspaper Correio da Manhã, around 200 fans forced their way into Benfica’s training ground in Seixal and demanded to speak with Mourinho, sporting director Simão Sabrosa and captain Nicolás Otamendi.

Initially, four representatives from the supporters’ group were allowed to enter discussions, but they later insisted that the rest of the group be included. Police were eventually called in to restore order, and club officials held talks with fan leaders for around an hour. The supporters then left the premises, allowing Benfica to continue preparations for their next fixture.

Club president Rui Costa later addressed the situation, insisting there would be no drastic decisions. “No. He’s an excellent coach and has already proven that,” Costa said. “It’s not an easy season. Changing the coach? That’s out of the question.”

“I can’t promise anything, but we’ll see until the end of the transfer window. As you know, we’ve already talked about the sporting side. It’s not a positive year. We will fight until the last second for our objectives. There’s still the championship to fight for.”

Benfica are next in action against Estrela da Amadora in Primeira Liga gameweek 19, where a win could reduce the gap to second-placed Sporting Lisbon to three points. They will then face Real Madrid in the Champions League, knowing they must win to keep their hopes of reaching the knockout stage alive, having collected just six points so far.