Jose Mourinho sent off for Benfica following Porto ‘traitor’ dispute
Jose Mourinho was sent off during Benfica’s 2-2 draw with former club Porto on Sunday following a touchline altercation where he was allegedly branded a “traitor” by an opposing coach.
The Portuguese manager was shown a red card in the second half after match officials deemed he had intentionally kicked a ball towards the away bench.
However, the former Chelsea and Real Madrid boss was left furious with Porto assistant Lucho Gonzalez, who he claims repeatedly insulted him in the tunnel.
Mourinho famously led Porto to Champions League glory in 2004 but now finds himself managing their fierce domestic rivals.
‘A traitor to what?’
The veteran tactician was eager to defend his professionalism following the fiery encounter at the Estadio da Luz.
“The FC Porto bench person who was also sent off called me a traitor 50 times in the tunnel,” Mourinho stated post-match.
“I’d like him to explain: traitor to what?”
The two-time European Cup winner emphasised that his commitment to his current employers is absolute, regardless of his historic ties to the opposition.
“I was at FC Porto, I gave my soul to FC Porto,” he added.
“I went to Chelsea, Inter, Real Madrid, Fenerbahce, I turned things around; I gave my all to the world, my soul, my life every day.”
Late comeback and red card dispute
The home side scored twice in the final 20 minutes to salvage a crucial point, with Leandro Barreiro netting the dramatic equaliser.
Despite remaining unbeaten this calendar year, Benfica still trail league leaders Porto by seven points in the race for the Portuguese title.
Gonzalez, who spent six years at Porto as a player across two spells, now serves as an assistant for the current league pacesetters.
Regarding his dismissal, the outspoken manager insisted he was innocent and placed the blame firmly on the officiating team.
“The referee says he sent me off because I kicked a ball towards the FC Porto bench, which is completely false,” he claimed.
He explained that his intended target was the crowd, describing it as a celebration he frequently performs to give a lucky fan a match ball.
