The Portuguese coach blames yellow card conspiracy for dismissal whilst recalling the Anthony Taylor car park confrontation that resulted in a four-match UEFA ban
José Mourinho attributed his sending-off during Benfica‘s 0-1 Champions League defeat to Real Madrid to what he described as referee “arrogance” after he pointed out apparent inconsistencies in yellow card decisions.
The dismissal rules him out of next week’s crucial second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu, though the Portuguese coach downplayed its significance whilst suggesting match officials were protecting certain Real Madrid players from suspension.
The chaotic night at the Estadio da Luz saw Vinícius Júnior score a brilliant winner before the match was stopped when the Brazilian accused Gianluca Prestianni of racism.
After discussions involving both coaches and match officials, play resumed around the hour mark, but tensions remained high throughout. Mourinho’s late dismissal for dissent capped an evening dominated by controversy rather than football.
Speaking afterwards, the Benfica boss offered his interpretation of events leading to the red card, claiming he’d noticed a pattern favouring specific Real Madrid players who were one booking away from missing the second leg.
“There’s nothing to explain, it’s all very obvious: I’ve played 1,400 games, it’s simple, he had a piece of paper that said [Álvaro] Carreras, [Aurélien] Tchouaméni, [Dean] Huijsen, if you get a yellow card you can’t play,” Mourinho said.
“And someone told him they couldn’t get a yellow card. Carreras made a grotesque simulation and didn’t get a yellow card, Tchouaméni with 10 fouls didn’t get a yellow card. The only thing I said to him was: ‘I noticed something’, then with his arrogance he gave me a red card, no big deal.”
The conspiracy theory Mourinho advanced represents familiar territory for the Portuguese coach. Throughout his career, he’s regularly suggested match officials favour opponents or operate under external pressures, claims that resonate with supporters whilst typically lacking concrete evidence.
After the game, he reignited an old feud with English referee Anthony Taylor, claiming that Benfica’s hopes of qualification depended on who would be chosen to officiate the second leg.
“Let’s see if it’s Anthony Taylor,” Mourinho added, referring to the return leg against Real Madrid.
The infamous car park incident
The controversy surrounding Mourinho’s latest dismissal has revived scrutiny of his history with match officials, particularly a 2023 incident involving English referee Anthony Taylor that resulted in a four-match UEFA ban and £47,300 fine.
Taylor opened up about that confrontation during an October interview with BBC Sport, describing it as “the worst situation I’ve dealt with in terms of abuse” throughout his refereeing career.
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The incident occurred in the car park of Budapest’s Puskas Arena following Roma’s penalty shootout defeat to Sevilla in the 2023 Europa League final.
Jose Mourinho to Anthony Taylor after the game last night: “You’re a f**king disgrace!!!”
🎥@tvdellosportpic.twitter.com/SJx7WWqAsA
— Football Talk (@FootballTalkHQ) June 1, 2023
“Not only because I was travelling with family members at the time, but it also highlights the impact of people’s behaviour on others,” Taylor explained. “Even in a match like that, where there was actually no major mistakes in the game.”
The presence of Taylor’s family during Mourinho’s verbal assault added another dimension to what was already an inexcusable breach of professional conduct.
That his relatives witnessed the tirade, and that the incident discouraged them from attending matches since, demonstrates the personal toll such behaviour extracts beyond immediate disciplinary consequences.
“For me, that’s a great source of disappointment, frustration, anger,” Taylor continued. “Why that’s acceptable, I don’t know – because I’m sure those individuals wouldn’t like somebody to turn around and say that to them or their own children. It makes you reflect back on whether you made a mistake travelling with your family in the first place. They haven’t been to one since.”
What might seem like momentary anger for Mourinho created consequences that altered how Taylor’s family engages with his profession
When asked whether Mourinho’s behaviour potentially influenced fans who subsequently abused him, Taylor didn’t equivocate.
“Yeah. I think if we’re being honest, yeah,” he said.
