José Mourinho has revealed he personally apologized to Real Madrid assistant coach Álvaro Arbeloa for his exuberant celebrations following Benfica's dramatic 4-2 victory over his former club in the UEFA Champions League. The win, sealed by a last-minute goal from goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin, was a historic night for the Portuguese side.
Speaking after the match, Mourinho confirmed the apology. “I apologized for how I celebrated, but Álvaro is a football man and understands that in that moment you get carried away,” the Benfica manager explained. He added that Arbeloa graciously accepted, telling him there was no need to apologize.
Mourinho described the victory as “a night to remember,” particularly for Benfica's younger fans. He expressed amazement at the nature of the win, stating, “I’ve won and lost many matches, but I had never won one with my goalkeeper scoring in the last minute.” The stoppage-time goal from Trubin completed the shocking scoreline.
When asked about the significance of defeating Real Madrid, Mourinho deflected personal credit. “I’m not thinking about myself, I’m thinking about the players and the club. For them, playing a knockout tie against Real Madrid or Inter is a fantastic opportunity.”
The win sets up a potential playoff round clash against Real Madrid or Inter Milan, which could see Mourinho return to the Santiago Bernabéu for the first time in 13 years. He closed his remarks with a confident warning to future opponents: “As they say in Spain, we’re coming for them.”
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