‘F***ing hell’ – Jose Mourinho reveals what he told Real Madrid star after 4-2 Benfica win
Benfica boss Jose Mourinho has revealed what he said to Real Madrid centre-back Dean Huijsen after his side’s 4-2 win in the Champions League group stages.
There was a vintage Mourinho-inspired moment on Tuesday night as Benfica beat nine-man Real Madrid to book a spot in the Champions League play-offs.
Real Madrid were only reduced to fewer players in stoppage time as Raul Asencio and Rodrygo were dismissed for receiving two bookings as Benfica ran out deserving winners.
Benfica led 3-2 heading into stoppage time, but they had to push for a fourth goal as this was required for them to earn a place in the play-offs.
And Benfica got that goal most remarkably with goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin heading home in the final moments of the match to spark joyous scenes at the Estádio da Luz.
After the game, Mourinho insisted that his side “really deserved” to beat Real Madrid and progress in the Champions League.
“I think we deserved it, we really deserved it,” Mourinho told Movistar.
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“Kylian [Mbappé] had two chances, and scored two goals. For Benfica, it’s incredibly prestigious to beat Real Madrid. It’s fantastic.”
Mourinho’s Benfica have been having a difficult season and currently find themselves third in the Portuguese league, while they lost their first four Champions League games before eventually earning a place in the playoffs.
Interestingly, Mourinho also admitted that there was an element of good fortune with Benfica’s fourth goal as he thought a 3-2 win was “enough” for a play-off place.
“When I made the last changes, [Franjo] Ivanovic and [Antonio] Silva, I was told [the scoreline] is enough, so let’s close the door,” Mourinho told Paramount+.
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“A few seconds later, then they tell me we need one more goal, but I cannot make more changes. That was the lucky point, to get the free kick, to allow us to go there with the big guy [Trubin].”
After the final whistle, Mourinho was also spotted talking to former Bournemouth star Huijsen, who joined Real Madrid in the summer and previously played under the veteran manager at AS Roma.
TNT Sports reporter Archie Rhind-Tutt claimed Mourinho mouthed ‘f***ing hell’ to Huijsen, which was presumably in reaction to the match’s late drama.
Speaking on his exchange with Huijsen, Mourinho added: “Dean was my player at Roma, he’s friends with my kids and the families know each other well so I have a good relationship with him.
“We were just speaking about the game and, of course, the kid is disappointed.
“But I was telling him, ‘You were lucky! You were lucky to lose only 4-2’, because it could be more.”
