The Champions League playoff is upon us, and few fixtures generate as much buzz as one involving José Mourinho. Speaking ahead of Fenerbahçe’s home leg against Benfica, the Portuguese manager didn’t hold back. He praised Benfica heavily, calling them a “Champions League team” while also admitting he wished his side was playing Nice instead.
Mourinho made it clear where he stands on the favorites question. He refuses, on principle, to label Benfica as the outright favorite. Yet, he quickly points out the obvious: Benfica has more experience. They also get to play the second leg at home. These factors, he says, definitely put the Portuguese giants a step above Fenerbahçe. Still, he insists his team has a real chance to go through. “We will do everything in these two games,” he stated, “to try and reach the main phase.”
The Fenerbahçe fans will be crucial. Mourinho mentioned their impact in the Feyenoord game. Losing 1-0, the team felt the crowd’s energy, and it helped them fight back. He believes Benfica’s players are used to tough atmospheres, so the home crowd probably won’t hurt them. However, Fenerbahçe’s players can get a huge boost from their supporters. He urged fans to bring the same passion to this first leg, even though it’s not the decider.
Mourinho then broke down the European club landscape from his perspective. He sees no link between a team’s domestic league performance and their European results. Being in the Champions League offers massive benefits: prestige, money, brand growth, and the chance to play top teams. With the new format bringing 8 different opponents, the positives are many. If Fenerbahçe drops into the Europa League, the only real upside, for him, is that they would become strong contenders to win the whole thing. He would consider his team one of the strongest there, with big ambitions. The biggest problem with Europa League, he noted, is playing on Thursday and then the league on Sunday.
Benfica, in Mourinho’s view, is a far tougher opponent than Feyenoord. He recalled saying after eliminating Feyenoord that Benfica wouldn’t be happy to play Fenerbahçe, but now he wonders if he was wrong. “As Fenerbahçe coach, I would prefer to play against Nice,” he admitted. He described Benfica as a strong team, well-coached by Bruno Lage. They defend well and don’t concede many goals. They can attack for long periods or hit on the counter. Plus, their bench is strong, full of good options. “They are a Champions League team, not a qualification team,” he emphasized. He pointed out that against Feyenoord, his team conceded four goals. With Benfica, if they concede four, they won’t score five in return.
Asked about the rumored arrival of Aktürkoglu, Mourinho was direct. If Aktürkoglu plays, he plays for Benfica. It makes no sense to think of him as a Fenerbahçe player because he isn’t one. Mourinho is focused on facing him as a Benfica player. On the tactical side, he said modern football is always tactical. He doesn’t expect either coach to pull off anything “magical.” Benfica will stick to their usual style, and Fenerbahçe won’t change much. He expects a tough tie, possibly with the result in doubt until the very end. But he trusts his team’s preparation and the players’ efforts during the match.
His desire for Nice over Benfica was clear. “What I want doesn’t help me,” he said. He wanted Nice, and he wanted the second game at home. Neither happened. So, Fenerbahçe must face the reality of Benfica. He believes nothing will be decided in the first leg. He doesn’t know what Bruno Lage is thinking, but Mourinho plans to play this game without considering a second leg. The goal is to win. If it’s a draw, it’s a draw. If they lose by a small margin, they’ll go to Lisbon to fight for the tie. But if the margin is too big, “the shop is closed.”
When reminded of his strong historical record against Benfica, Mourinho downplayed it. He said he always won because his teams – FC Porto, Man. United, and even U. Leiria back then – were simply better. Today, he stressed, Benfica is a top, powerful club. They have Champions League status and many experienced players. He believes only the press remembers his past results against them. To him, they are just coincidences.
Finally, asked if being “addicted to good results” makes him feel anything special about playing Benfica, he reiterated his preference. “I would prefer to play against Nice than against Benfica,” he stated. Then, with a hint of humor, he added that he prefers visiting Lisbon over Nice for personal reasons, like staying in a hotel near the famous Belém pastries and being visited by family. But professionally, if they had drawn Nice, they would simply have a better chance of reaching the next Champions League phase.