Receiving a red card, Mourinho vents frustration: 'They called me a traitor 50 times!'

The match between Benfica and FC Porto in Liga Portugal concluded with a dramatic 2-2 scoreline. However, the post-match focus was on the red card given to coach José Mourinho following tensions along the touchline.

The visiting Porto started favorably when Victor Froholdt scored in the 10th minute, before Oskar Pietuszewski doubled the lead just before halftime, giving the league leaders a significant advantage. However, Benfica responded strongly in the second half. Goals from Andreas Schjelderup and Leandro Barreiro allowed the home team to complete a comeback and secure a crucial point.

After Barreiro's equalizer in the 89th minute, the atmosphere became extremely tense. Mourinho was seen arguing intensely with Porto's coaching staff and subsequently was dismissed from the match.

Before leaving the field, the Portuguese coach also made a gesture with his thumb and index finger close together, implying someone is "small." After the match, Mourinho explained the reason for his dismissal: "The referee said I was sent off because I kicked the ball toward Porto's bench. That is completely false. Many times when my team scores, I kick the ball into the stands to give luck to the fans. I know my technique isn't good, but that ball was heading toward the stands. I was unjustly dismissed."

The 63-year-old coach later revealed that a member of Porto's coaching staff, Mr. Gonzalez, had angered him. Mourinho said: "He called me a traitor 50 times. I want to ask: betrayal of what? I once went to Porto and gave my whole heart to the club. Then I went to Chelsea, Inter, Real Madrid, traveled around the world, and worked 24 hours a day. That is called professionalism."

Mourinho also retorted: "When he went to Marseille, was he a traitor? Betrayal of what? He could insult me in another way, I might accept it. But this is an insult to my professionalism."

Despite Benfica successfully turning the tide, Mourinho still admitted Porto played better: "For most of the match, Porto was closer to victory than we were. You can like them or dislike them, but Porto builds their team with a clear philosophy."

He also emphasized that Porto has a physically demanding style of play and is extremely difficult to handle: "They have four wing players with very high speed. Porto outperformed us in terms of match intensity."

The draw does not change the standings situation. Porto still leads Liga Portugal with 66 points, 4 points ahead of Sporting CP. Meanwhile, Benfica remains 7 points behind Porto but Mourinho asserted: "There are still 27 points to compete for. Overcoming a 7-point gap is very difficult, but when mathematically there is still a chance, anything can happen."