Article by Aurelian Botezatu – Published on Thursday, 26 February 2026, 08:42 / Updated on Thursday, 26 February 2026 08:42
Benfica's coach, Jose Mourinho, was suspended for the second leg with Real Madrid (1-2), following the incidents that happened in the first leg, in Lisbon, also won by Madrid, 1-0.
When returning to the “Santiago Bernabeu”, after 4,652 days, Jose Mourinho was downright…invisible! Suspended after being sent off with a “red” directly in the first leg, from Lisbon, the Benfica coach did not appear for a moment at the place reserved by the hosts.
Jose Mourinho watched the match hidden in the team coach!
Namely a box, on the 8th floor of the stadium, where around 35 journalists were waiting for him, eager to talk with the former coach of Real from 2010 to 2013. Mourinho was not even at any hotel near the arena, as the daily newspaper Marca wrote, before the game, but in the team coach!
The Portuguese technician accompanied the team to the “Bernabeu”, and after the players and staff got off, going to the dressing rooms, he stayed on the bus, from where he kept in touch with the seconds by phone while watching the match on a monitor – reveals the same Brand.
Alvaro Arbeloa: “I haven't seen Jose Mourinho at all”
UEFA banned everyone from filming the 63-year-old coachbut even this measure taken in his favor failed to dislodge him from the hiding-place he had chosen.
At the press conference after the final whistle, counterpart Alvaro Arbeloa was asked if he had seen “Mou”. The answer: “I didn't see him at all tonight.” Moreover, including before the match, The Special One had been extremely discreet, refusing to talk to the press.
Jose Mourinho hid in a laundry basket ahead of Chelsea v Bayern in the Champions League
It is not the first time that Mourinho has behaved unusually in a Champions League match. In 2005, being suspended, he hid in a basket of dirty laundry before the match Chelsea – Bayern (4-2), to speak to the players in the dressing room.
“I go to the dressing room during the day so I've been there since lunch and the game is at seven o'clock. I just want to be in the dressing room when the players come in. I went there and nobody saw me. The problem was leaving after. And Stewart Bannister, the kit guy, put me in the basket.
It was slightly open so I could breathe. But when he took the bin out of the dressing room, the UEFA guys were chasing me and were desperate to find me, so he closed the bin and I couldn't breathe! When he opened the basket, I was dying! I'm serious! I'm claustrophobic. It's true!”, said Mourinho.
