Champions League: Mourinho laments the lack of training after Benfica’s defeat to Chelsea
José Mourinho regretted the lack of training time with his players after Benfica’s defeat to Chelsea in the Champions League, while seeing encouraging signs in his team’s performance.
L’entraineur de l’AS Roma, José Mourinho
Benfica coach José Mourinho regretted on Tuesday night the lack of tactical work with his players after the 1-0 loss to Chelsea in the Champions League, a match decided by an own goal from Richard Rios in the first half.
“We played four matches with only two days between them. I didn’t have time to really train, only to recover, whereas training is normally one of my strengths,” the Portuguese explained at a press conference.
Aware of the difficulties linked to his mid-season arrival, Mourinho also mentioned the extra pressure caused by the club’s election period. “It’s almost like a political campaign, and the players can’t escape it,” he stressed.
Despite the defeat, the Portuguese coach found reasons for hope: “There are defeats that lay positive foundations. Today the team showed stability. With a draw, it would even have been a good result.”