Why Is Jose Mourinho Not on the Touchline for Benfica vs. Real Madrid?

José Mourinho took charge of nearly 200 games as Real Madrid boss.

José Mourinho misses a return to the Santiago Bernabéu touchline. | PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA/AFP/Getty Images

José Mourinho’s return to the Santiago Bernabéu won’t go as planned on Wednesday.

The former Real Madrid manager was set to appear on the touchline at his old home for the first time since departing back in 2013, but he will miss a return to the dugout during Benfica’s Champions League playoff second leg in Spain’s capital.

Madrid were 1–0 victors during the first leg at the Estádio da Luz, a fixture completely overshadowed by alleged racial abuse aimed at Vinicius Junior by Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni. The Argentine, who has denied any wrongdoing, has been suspended for Wednesday’s game as UEFA investigate the incident.

An emotionally-charged second leg will see Benfica enter battle without their manager on the sideline, the ‘Special One’ forced to sit in the stands.

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Why José Mourinho Is Not on the Touchline at the Bernabéu

José Mourinho was sent off during the first leg. | Zed Jameson/Anadolu/Getty Images

Not for the first time in his lengthy career, Mourinho came to blows with the officials during Benfica’s defeat to Madrid. Having angrily confronted referee François Letexier for what he deemed to be preferential treatment shown to the Madrid players, Mourinho was sent off following a second yellow card.

“I was sent off for saying something very obvious: the referee had a piece of paper that said, ‘[Aurélien] Tchouaméni, [Álvaro] Carreras, and [Dean] Huijsen couldn’t receive a yellow card.’ And he refused to book either Carreras or Tchouaméni,” Mourinho told media after the first clash.

“I told the referee. Because I’ve spent 1,400 games on the bench, and he knew perfectly well who he could and couldn’t book.”

As a result of his dismissal, the Portuguese coach must serve his suspension during the second leg in Spain, with his ban restricting him from being on the touchline, entering the dressing room or directly communicating with his team.

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Mourinho Ducks Press Conference After Vinicius Jr Remarks

Mourinho refused to speak to the media pre-match. | Octavio Passos-UEFA/Getty Images

Mourinho’s suspension allows him to withdraw from press conference duties before and after the second leg, as per UEFA rules. The 63-year-old has chosen to exercise that right, instead sending assistant manager João Tralhão, who refused to discuss Prestianni’s alleged racial slur prior to the clash.

Mourinho likely opted out of media responsibilities following the significant backlash he received for his remarks regarding the alleged racism directed at Vinicius Jr, who the Benfica boss accused of inciting the incident.

The former Chelsea, Manchester United and Inter manager suggested that Vinicius Jr’s “disrespectful’ celebrations caused the incident, while also using Benfica legend Eusébio as a deflection when insisting that the Portuguese giants are not a racist club.

Mourinho’s comments have been widely condemned, with Bayern Munich manager Vincent Kompany among those to lambast the veteran for his ill-advised words.

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