Watch: Jose Mourinho sent off in fiery Champions League clash with Real Madrid
Jose Mourinho was sent to the stands during Benfica’s narrow 1-0 defeat to Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League knockout playoff.
The Special One saw red in the 86th minute after a characteristically fiery confrontation with match official François Letexier, overshadowing a match already fraught with tension and high-stakes drama.
Mourinho makes headlines again during fiery clash against Real Madrid
The atmosphere at the Estádio da Luz was electric as Mourinho faced the club he famously led between 2010 and 2013.
However, the evening turned sour for the Portuguese manager late in the second half.
Mourinho’s fury was ignited when the referee refused to show a second yellow card to Vinícius Júnior after the Brazilian appeared to foul Richard Ríos.
Having already been cautioned earlier in the match, a second booking for Vinícius would have seen Real Madrid reduced to ten men for the closing stages.
Mourinho was positively seething on the touchline, and after a series of heated exchanges with the fourth official and Letexier, he was shown a second yellow card of his own and dismissed.
? The chaos continues at the Estadio da Luz as Jose Mourinho is red carded!#beINUCL #UCL pic.twitter.com/MFgFs4xURL
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS_EN) February 17, 2026
Mourinho didn’t head for the tunnel but instead took a seat in the front row of the stands, directly behind the Benfica bench, to watch the final minutes.
Mourinho will not be on touchline for return leg at Bernabeu
The red card carries heavy consequences for the second leg. Mourinho is now officially banned from the touchline for the return fixture at the Santiago Bernabéu next Wednesday.
His absence will be a significant blow for a Benfica side that must overturn a 1-0 deficit following Vinícius Júnior’s spectacular 50th-minute curling strike.
GOAL!
Vinícius Júnior ?
Top corner, top class. Real Madrid lead after a special strike at the Estádio da Luz.#beINUCL #RealMadrid #UCL pic.twitter.com/D7yXIuLgzd
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS_EN) February 17, 2026
The match was further marred by a ten-minute delay in the second half following allegations of racial abuse directed at Vinícius Júnior.
While the football on display was intense, the headlines have inevitably shifted toward the disciplinary fallout.
Without their talismanic leader on the bench, Benfica faces a daunting task in Madrid as they look to repeat their league-phase heroics and secure a spot in the Round of 16.
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