Jose Mourinho reportedly watched the second leg of Benfica's Champions League play-off against Real Madrid from the team coach in the car park of the Bernabeu. The Portuguese manager was unable to lead his side from the touchline after receiving a red card in the first leg at the Estadio da Luz.
According to reports, Mourinho did not leave the coach upon the team's arrival at the Bernabeu, despite addressing the players before the match. Assistant coach Joao Tralhao handled pre-match and post-match media duties as Mourinho exercised his right to remain silent.
The red card was shown by referee Francois Letexier after Mourinho allegedly accused the official of avoiding bookings for Real Madrid players. The first leg was also marred by controversy when Vinicius Junior claimed he was racially abused by Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni, leading to a 10-minute halt in play. Prestianni received a provisional one-match ban, which he denies being warranted.
Mourinho later gave a controversial interview, suggesting that Vinicius Junior sees problems in every stadium he plays in. The Brazilian scored the decisive goal in the second leg, securing a 2-1 win for Real Madrid on the night and a 3-1 aggregate victory, sending them into the Champions League round of 16.
