Jose Mourinho dismissed during match against Porto: ‘He referred to me as a traitor 50 times’
Benfica’s manager Jose Mourinho accused FC Porto’s assistant coach Luis ‘Lucho’ Gonzalez of labeling him “a traitor” on 50 occasions during the 2-2 draw on Sunday.
Mourinho received a red card against his previous club in the 91st minute after he was judged to have kicked a ball towards the opposing bench.
Gonzalez, a former Porto player, was also dismissed shortly thereafter following a confrontation with Mourinho.
In his post-match comments, Mourinho, 63, remarked about Gonzalez: “He called me a traitor 50 times. I would like him to clarify what I am a traitor to. I joined FC Porto, I dedicated myself to FC Porto, I moved to Chelsea, then to Inter, to Real Madrid, I traveled the world and committed 24 hours of my life every day. That is what I call professionalism.
“When he transferred to Marseille [from FC Porto in 2009], did he betray FC Porto? He could have insulted me in a different manner, perhaps he would have considered it better, but I view it as an attack on my professionalism.
“I find it unacceptable. Insults from supporters are one thing; that’s football. These are the same fans who were at my feet when I was walking around the city. Now, coming from a fellow professional… He is a professional like me, he has represented several clubs throughout his career, I don’t comprehend.
“Traitor why? For giving everything to Benfica?”
Gonzalez, 45, became part of FC Porto in 2005, one year after Mourinho had transitioned to Chelsea after leading the Dragoes to Champions League success.
Mourinho had previously guided Porto to two league championships and a UEFA Cup.
A former Argentinian midfielder, Gonzalez spent six seasons at FC Porto during two separate tenures before taking on the role of assistant to coach Francesco Farioli in July 2025. The result on Sunday left Benfica in third place in the Primeira Liga standings, seven points behind leaders FC Porto.
– Mourinho states ‘it’s over’ for Prestianni at Benfica if found guilty
“There are still 27 points available,” Mourinho stated. “I view recovering seven points as challenging.
“I have been expressing this since the start of the season. It is quite straightforward to identify how FC Porto plays, yet very difficult to compete against them. And I do not believe it will be easy for FC Porto to drop more points. However, as long as it remains a mathematical possibility, anything can occur.”
Mourinho began his first experience as a first-team manager in 2000 at Benfica and returned to the club in September shortly after being dismissed by Fenerbahce.
