Newcastle overcame Jose Mourinho and Benfica on Tuesday evening in the UEFA Champions League.
A strike from Anthony Gordon – his fourth in just three consecutive European outings – and a double by Harvey Barnes secured all three points for Eddie Howe.
[
Click to subscribe to the podcast ](https://www.youtube.com/@BeyondTheBackFour?sub_confirmation=1)
After the Magpies moved up to seventh in the UEFA Champions League table, Jose Mourinho launched a critique on the Newcastle fans.
Jose Mourinho calls St James’ Park “beautiful” but says supporters were “quiet”
The 62-year-old has not managed at St James’ Park since a 2-2 draw between Newcastle and his Tottenham side back in April 2021, and the Portuguese coach was surprised at how silent the atmosphere was on Tyneside.
Mourinho – who was linked to Nottingham Forest – said: “In the first half, it was a quiet St James’ – it was quiet. They felt that the game was not easy, they felt that Benfica was much closer to Newcastle to score.
“They brought their enthusiasm in set pieces, which is normal when you have a team of giants… to be honest the atmosphere was just nice, not difficult and beautiful in the sense of fair play, no problems, good referee, no disciplinary problems.”
The Toon Army are a proud bunch of supporters who often do a great job at creating an intimidating atmosphere for away sides, so these comments from Mourinho have the potential to irk them.
Jose Mourinho had one eye on the Newcastle job before ending up at Benfica
TBR Football understand Mourinho was interested in managing Newcastle back in November 2024 as he considered a return to England.
Jose Mourinho reacts during Benfica vs Fenerbahce in the Champions League
Photo by Zed Jameson/MB Media/Getty Images
The man from Setubal was keeping a close eye on developments at Newcastle and West Ham, and it is understood he was also an option for the PIF (Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia) if Eddie Howe failed to help the Magpies qualify for Europe.
Mourinho previously worked as a loyal assistant to Sir Bobby Robson and is therefore known to have a soft spot for Newcastle, so it could have been a romantic move had it materialised.