After Benfica’s 3-0 win over Aviz, Mourinho revealed at the post-match press conference that he had spoken with Porto President Villas-Boas and Sporting CP President Valadas since signing with Benfica. He emphasized that this move was not intended to provoke conflicts with Porto, but rather stemmed from his ambition to coach a major club.
Mourinho said, “If you ask me whether Porto is one of the biggest clubs in the world, I will say yes. I didn’t come to Benfica to beat Porto; I came to enjoy the fact that I’m coaching a big club with great ambitions. I hope they won’t be upset with me.”
He continued, “After joining Benfica, I’ve talked to Villas-Boas and Sporting CP President Valadas. Being Benfica’s head coach doesn’t mean I’m here to start a war. If you ask me whether I will receive applause again at the Dragão Stadium, the answer is obviously no. Porto is an extremely important part of my life experience, and I am also part of Porto’s history.”
When talking about the plans for himself and his team, Mourinho revealed, “We have agreed to visit different places, whether in Portugal or abroad, but only those clubs that are winning. Last week it was Porto; this week it would have been Sporting CP, and then we will go to Madrid. We decided not to go to Inter Milan. The fans gave me such a warm reception, and I think I deserved it, but for 90 minutes, we are rivals—only sports rivals. I don’t like it to mean more than that. Porto wants to win, and I want to win too. That’s all.”
