“Mourinho proud of Benfica’s performance against Real Madrid.”

The night at the Santiago Bernabéu was marked by the notable absence of José Mourinho, but that did not prevent the Portuguese coach from expressing his pride in Benfica’s performance against Real Madrid. Despite the 2-1 defeat and elimination with an aggregate score of 3-1 in the Champions League, the determination and effort of the team were evident, leading to a strong speech from assistant coach João Tralhão.

Tralhão, who took on the role of head coach due to Mourinho’s suspension, assured that there were no failures in communication or strategy. “The synchronization was perfect. We were prepared. Obviously, it was not a situation we wanted. José Mourinho did not want to be out of the game. We felt it was an unfair situation, but our synchronization was perfect,” Tralhão stated on the club’s official website.

The interim coach also highlighted that, even in Mourinho’s absence, the team was well prepared to face the challenges that arose. “We always anticipated the scenarios. This is a new situation this season. We didn’t think the coach could be out, but he was, he was suspended. We anticipated the scenario,” he added, emphasizing that decision-making still came from the coach, supported by the coaching staff.

The match started promisingly for Benfica, with Rafa Silva opening the scoring just 14 minutes in, equalizing the aggregate. However, the joy was short-lived, as Aurelien Tchouaméni quickly leveled for Real Madrid, who ultimately secured victory with a goal from Vinicius Jr. at the end of the match. “We felt that we created enough opportunities today,” said Tralhão, reflecting on his team’s performance. “We are very proud of our performance, very proud of our team. The players were extraordinary.”

The frustration was palpable, especially since they had dominated the game at various moments. “We conceded a goal against the run of play, as you could see, and still maintained our personality, kept our character, and held on to our winning mentality. The game was decided by small details. We could have scored; we created enough chances for that. Real Madrid obviously has a great team, but they had a giant in goal [Thibaut Courtois] who didn’t allow us to capitalize on the opportunities we had, but we left here proud of the team,” he concluded.

With Mourinho watching from the team bus, the message of resilience and pride resonated through Tralhão’s words, making it clear that despite the defeat, Benfica showed a fighting spirit that promises to bear fruit in the future. The battle for honor in the Champions League may have ended, but the team’s determination is far from exhausted.