Benfica coach, Jose Mourinho, kept his players at the club’s training ground after their 3-1 defeat by Braga in the Portuguese League Cup semi-finals, saying he wanted them to reflect on the loss rather than rest. The defeat denied Benfica a place in the final and extended a frustrating run under the Portuguese manager. “The players will sleep in Seixal, and on Thursday there is training, and the day after there’s training,” Mourinho said. I hope the players sleep as well as I do, which is to say that they don’t sleep at all,” he said. The League Cup exit is a setback as Benfica prepare for a key league match against rivals Porto next week.

Source: Punch January 09, 2026 10:33 UTC