Bruno Lage hails key Fenerbahçe star ahead of Benfica clash | OneFootball

Bruno Lage was present at the press conference previewing the Benfica's encounter with Fenerbahçe, counting for the first leg of the Champions League play-off. When asked about facing his compatriot José Mourinho, the Eagles' coach showed admiration for the Portuguese, but emphasized that his focus is on ensuring qualification.

"Mourinho? I consider him the best coach from Setúbal and many surrounding areas. What's interesting for tomorrow's game is that we're from the same city. What matters now is that it's not a game between Bruno and José Mourinho, but rather between Benfica and Fenerbahçe. And, possibly, from either side, we could have thought of a meeting at a more advanced stage of the competition than now," Bruno Lage began to say.

Next, the Clube da Luz coach showed focus on the encounter and stated that his goal is to win the tie: "Regardless of the respect and admiration I have for him, tomorrow what's on my mind is to do my best to help Benfica achieve a good result and take the tie to the Luz, ensuring access to the Champions League."

In a relaxed tone Bruno Lage drew a parallel between where he was in his career two decades ago, compared to José Mourinho: "As a joke, I almost remember what happened 20 years ago. While Mourinho was winning the UEFA Cup, I was promoting Estrela Venda Novas to the second division with coach José Rocha. I won my first title with Benfica in 2002."

Finally, the 49-year-old coach highlighted a historic feat achieved by Mourinho in European football: "He won the Champions League. It's a great pride what Mourinho has done in national and international football. But all the admiration I have for him, all the friendship my father has with him, tomorrow is not on our minds. I want to help Benfica win and move forward in the competition."

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.