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Jose Mourinho has told Benfica’s critics to show “respect” and admitted he once had “no idea” whether his side needed a last-gasp goal to reach the Champions League knockout stage play-offs with victory over Real Madrid.
Mourinho’s new side looked set to exit the competition on a goal on the final night of the league stage before goalkeeper Anatoly Trubin scored the decisive goal in the 98th minute as the Portuguese club beat the 15-time European champions 4-2 at home.
Trubin Goalkeeper Goal 🤯
Amazing Dragomir strike 😮
Look at the left leg shot João Pedro 😎
Sublime Dimarco free-kick 🎯#UCLGOTD | @Heineken pic.twitter.com/uqXTxOfOcW— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) January 28, 2026
“The only thing I want this victory to bring is some respect,” Mourinho said. to the ball), who returned to the club in September where he became the first manager.
“I appeal to many of these people… not to jump from the balcony. Calm down. Benfica will lose and they will kill us again. The only thing I want is some respect for Benfica and the players.”
Benfica vs Madrid: Trubin’s Champions League heroics
Mourinho has won the Champions League with Porto and Inter but was sacked by Fenerbahce earlier this season after losing to Benfica in qualifying to reach the league stage.
Trubin’s goal sent them into a play-off tie against Madrid or Inter to reach the round of 16, with their opponents decided by a draw on Friday.
“When I brought on (Franjo) Ivanovic and Antonio (Silva in the 93rd minute), I had no idea if 3-2 was enough,” admitted Mourinho.
The Trubin Show 😲🤯😱🫢#UCL pic.twitter.com/HGpdqNm2Rc
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) January 28, 2026
“I had no clue. They came to win. When we realized it wasn’t enough, I sent (defender) Nico (Otamendi) forward.
“I couldn’t make any more substitutions. When the foul came (to give us a chance), I sent Trubin forward. (Samuel) Dahl stayed in midfield… the little guy stayed back because it was always important to win.”
Mourinho: Champions League win against Real Madrid ‘historic’
Mourinho led Madrid between 2010 and 2013 and is now on the brink of another meeting with the team managed by Alvaro Arbeloa. Xabi Alonso Fired earlier this month.
“Winning against Real Madrid Always carries significant weight,” said the 63-year-old, “This win is historic. It is important from an economic point of view and even more so from a reputational point of view.
“I remember winning or losing at the last minute, which has happened to me many times. But this (one) situation where you are winning, it is not enough, then you think it is and it is not.
“You have to change things and take risks because, in the end, this (situation) could have (ended) at 3-3 and we would still have gone away.”
When is Champions League Knockout Stage?
- Knockout Stage Play-offs: February 17/18 and 24/25 2026
- Round of 16: March 10/11 and 17/18 2026
- Quarter Finals: April 7/8 and 14/15 2026
- Semi-Finals: April 28/29 and May 5/6 2026
- Final: 30 May 2026 (Budapest)
When is the Champions League draw?
- Knockout Stage Play-offs: 30 January 2026
- Round of 16, Quarter Finals, Semi Finals and Final: 27 February 2026
When is the Champions League Final?
The final will be held on 30 May 2026 at The Puskas Arena in Budapest, which opened in 2019 and is the home of the Hungarian national team.
The arena hosted the dramatic 2022/23 Europa League final, when Sevilla beat Roma on penalties after a 1–1 draw after extra time.
Why did Fenerbahce sack Jose Mourinho?
After finishing 11 points behind second-placed champions Galatasaray in Mourinho’s first campaign in Turkey, Fenerbahce opened the season with a 0-0 draw at Goztepe, who won promotion in 2023/24 and finished eighth last season.
They overturned a 2-1 first-leg deficit to beat Feyenoord in their first Champions League qualifying tie courtesy of a 5-2 win at home, but their loss to Benfica in the round following Mourinho’s departure sealed their fate.
Turkish winger Kerem Akturkoglu, who joined Benfica from Galatasaray in 2024, scored the decisive goal in the 35th minute of the return leg to send Fenerbahce into the Europa League.
Between their contests with Benfica, Fenerbahçe secured their first league win of the season by beating Kocaelispor 3–1 at home, although the promoted visitors lost their first two games without scoring.
Mourinho finished with a record of 37 wins, 14 draws and 11 defeats in 62 matches with Fenerbahce, achieving a winning percentage of just under 60.
Jose Mourinho’s stats, Fenerbahce record
A 118th-minute second-leg goal by visitors Lille knocked Fenerbahce out of Champions League qualification in Mourinho’s first season in charge and they were the last team to qualify for the Europa League knockout stage play-offs, advancing to 18th on goal difference after winning two of their eight league stage matches.
A 5–2 win over Andelecht took them into the last 16 but a 3–1 home defeat to Rangers resulted in their exit at Ibrox on penalties after a 2–0 away win.
Fenerbahce went unbeaten in their first five league matches under Mourinho but then lost 3–1 to Galatasaray in front of their biggest home crowd of the season of over 44,000 fans.
Galatasaray also knocked Fenerbahce out of the Turkish Cup as the visiting side in the quarter-finals with both sides showing two red cards during extra time.
Mourinho has repeatedly criticized referees in Turkey and received a four-match ban for comments about referees following a 0–0 draw at Galatasaray on 24 February – later reduced to two games.
In a separate incident, Galatasaray said they would “initiate criminal proceedings” against Mourinho and accused him of making “racist statements”.
He denied the allegations, described himself as an “opponent” of racism and sued the club for damages worth around £41,000.
Jose Mourinho contract
According to ESPN at the time of his appointment, Mourinho’s deal at Fenerbahce was worth more than £8m a year.
Club president Ali Y Kok called Mourinho a living legend and one of the five best managers when he arrived and said his first goal was to become Turkish champions.
“I want to thank you all for your love,” Mourinho replied. “I’ve felt it ever since my name was first linked to Fenerbahce.”
Jose Mourinho Trophy
An eight-time top-flight champion in Portugal, England, Spain and Italy, Mourinho won the Champions League at Porto in 2003/04 and Inter in 2009/10.
He was Premier League champion with Chelsea in 2004/05 and 2005/06, winning again during his second spell in charge in 2014/15.
Mourinho’s two most recent honors were the 2016/17 Europa League title with Manchester United and the inaugural 2021/22 Conference League trophy with Roma.
