Roger Schmidt is having a tough time in Portugal. Former referee Pedro Henriques calls the Benfica coach 'an autist'.
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Benfica became champions of Portugal last season and reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League, but after a tumultuous transfer summer in which many players left, the performances and the game have deteriorated. Benfica is still at the top in Portugal, but is having a disastrous Champions League campaign.
Last season, Schmidt was highly regarded at Benfica and by its fans, but this season, sentiments have shifted. Benfica is not playing well and the relationship with the supporters is not what it used to be. They blame Schmidt for making wrong sporting choices.
After the match between Benfica and Sporting, Schmidt received criticism from journalists about the game displayed, to which the German asked Benfica's press officer if the journalist was a supporter of FC Porto or Sporting. Since Schmidt doesn't speak Portuguese, some of the journalists started asking all questions in Portuguese.
And it's no secret that Schmidt and referees generally do not get along well. This was a theme several times during his tenure at PSV and is now slowly emerging in Portugal. Henriques has now launched an attack on Schmidt. "He always finds excuses. The way he presents himself has something of autism and a lack of realism. He should learn Portuguese, as I am sick of someone who does not respect my country and my language," he said on Radio Observador.
Updated: 12:06, 1 Dec 2023
