Rui Costa, the man at Benfica’s helm, recently laid out the stark truth about the team’s struggles. He pointed a firm finger away from former coach Bruno Lage. “The issue wasn’t Lage,” Costa explained in a chat with TVI. “It was deeper. Think physical and emotional burnout. That much was clear to anyone watching.” He mentioned how the team started the season with just ten days of rest. Something simply had to give. “Why did I let Bruno Lage go?” Costa asked, almost rhetorically. “Because change was needed. We both knew it. It was the best way forward.”
Not everyone bought that explanation, though. Luís Miguel Henrique, the lawyer for the former coach, openly accused the club of being disloyal to Lage. Costa didn’t shy away from those accusations. He explained the decision to change coaches. “Look, it all boiled down to that Qarabag game,” Costa stated, referring to a specific point in time or event that triggered conversations. He quickly dismissed whispers about contacting another famous coach, José Mourinho. “I never reached out to Mourinho. Not once,” he insisted.
Another rumor doing the rounds was about Mário Branco. People were saying he had “made the bed” for Lage and Mourinho back at Fenerbahçe, implying some kind of setup or betrayal. Costa flatly denied this. “That simply isn’t how things work,” he said. He’s also running for elections on October 25th, so clearing the air is key. Costa also addressed talk about the Santa Clara game date, which some saw as a point of friction. “There was never any bad blood between my general director and the coach,” Costa said firmly. “Quite the opposite, in fact.” He clarified that the professional team’s schedule is always a joint effort, made by the football staff and the coaching team. They even made sure players returned from national team duties as fast as humanly possible. “There was no big fight, despite what some folks might want you to believe,” Costa concluded, shaking off the gossip.
