MADRID — Jose Mourinho will make his Champions League return to the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday with Benfica, but the visit will be far from straightforward.
The 63-year-old Portuguese coach, who left Real Madrid in 2013 after winning a La Liga title, cannot sit in the dugout for the play-off second leg following his sending-off in Benfica’s 1-0 first-leg defeat in Lisbon. Mourinho was dismissed for vociferous complaints about referee Francois Letexier, whom he accused of avoiding bookings for Madrid players at risk of suspension for the return leg.
“I (won’t be) sitting on the bench, I can’t go to the dressing room, I can’t communicate with the team,” Mourinho said. “It’s hard for me, but my teammates and my assistants are there; they’ll do their job.”
The first leg was also marred by allegations of racial abuse, with Benfica midfielder Gianluca Prestianni accused of targeting Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior. UEFA provisionally suspended Prestianni for one game while investigating the incident, easing some tension ahead of the second leg. Both players gave differing accounts of the events, with Prestianni denying racial abuse.
Mourinho, whose tenure at Real Madrid was marked by a bitter rivalry with Barcelona and a divided dressing room, remains a fan favorite of Madrid president Florentino Perez. Rumors persist that he could return to the club next season if current coach Alvaro Arbeloa struggles.
The upcoming second leg will test Mourinho and Benfica as they aim to upset Madrid and progress to the last 16, while the controversy surrounding the first leg continues to cast a shadow over the match.
