Former Benfica head coach Bruno Lage spoke about the defeat they suffered in the UEFA Champions League match against Qarabag.
Idman.biz reports that among the reasons, he also pointed to the match they played against Santa Clara in the Portuguese championship 4 days before the match against Qarabag.
"Nobody likes preparing for games in such a tight schedule. We told the club management that it was important to postpone that game. In that case, the players would have time to rest and prepare for the upcoming game (with Qarabag)," said Lage.
According to the head coach, the president Rui Costa and sports director Mariu Branco did not agree with this proposal of the team.
The match between Benfica and Santa Clara, held on September 12, ended in a 1:1 draw. On September 16, the Lisbon club lost 2:3 to Qarabag at their home ground.