José Mourinho’s bizarre punishment for Benfica players: ‘I hope they do not sleep’
The legendary coach returned to Benfica in September but is already taking drastic steps to improve the team’s form.
Jose Mourinho’s return to Portugal has not been the success that Benfica fans would have hoped. With his team ten points adrift of league leaders Porto, Mourinho has taken drastic action.
On Wednesday his team suffered a shock 3-1 loss to Braga in the Portuguese Allianz Cup. After the game Mourinho gave an impassioned press conference and revealed that his team would be sleeping at Benfica’s Seixal training ground as punishment.
“Thinking we’d be playing the final, we’re not going home, we’re going to Seixal,” Mourinho said. “The players will sleep in Seixal, and tomorrow there’s training, and the day after tomorrow there’s training.”
Jose Mourinho took his players to sleep at their training ground, after Benfica's League Cup semi-final loss 🛏️ pic.twitter.com/cBLQqtwcuH
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) January 8, 2026
“When we arrive in Seixal, everyone will go to their rooms. I hope the players sleep as well as I do, which is to say, that they don’t sleep at all. That’s what I wish for them. That they don’t sleep and think a lot, like I’m going to think.”
Mourinho is one of the most decorated coaches of his generation and made a much-publicized return to Benfica last September. The 62-year-old has managed the likes of Chelsea, Real Madrid and Manchester United, and won the Champions League with Porto and Inter Milan.
However his return to Portuguese soccer has been less successful. He signed a two-year deal with Benfica at the start of the 2025/26 season but already seems frustrated with his players, demanding greater communication from his team.
Speaking on Wednesday, he said: “In the locker room it was a monologue, and monologues don’t work for me; I like to have a dialogue with the players. We’ll talk about the differences between the first and second halves and prepare in the best way possible for the game against FC Porto.”
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