Mourinho sent-off for 12th time amid 'traitor' claims: Red card king's history of touchline drama

Robin Bairner

• Updated: 9 Mar 2026 09:23 CDT
• 4 min read

Analysis

Jose Mourinho has cultivated an infamous reputation for himself as one of football’s most divisive and fiery manager, often failing to see out the game from the dugout.

Mourinho’s latest red card came during Benfica’s clash with Porto on Sunday, with the former Real Madrid, Chelsea and Manchester United boss seeing red amid at the end of a dramatic 2-2 draw.

The 63-year-old wasn’t happy with the decision. He claims he was dismissed wrongly, although he did admit to arguing with Porto assistant Lucho Gonzalez.

Mourinho hits out at ‘completely false’ claim

“The referee said he sent me off because I kicked a ball towards the Porto bench, which is completely false,” Mourinho said.

“Many times, after goals, I have kicked the ball into the stands to give it to a lucky fan and celebrate. I know I'm not very good technically, but it was meant for the stands.”

On his argument with Lucho, the Benfica coach said: “He called me a traitor 50 times in the tunnel.

“I'd like him to explain to me, a traitor to what? I went to Porto, I gave my soul to Porto, I went to Chelsea, I went to Inter, to Real Madrid, I travelled around the world and gave 24 hours of my life every day, gave my life, my soul. That's what professionalism is about.

“Insults from the fans are one thing. But a fellow professional calling me a traitor, why? A traitor to what? Giving everything to Benfica? A traitor to what? I didn't like it.”

Mourinho had spent two remarkable years as Porto head coach, winning both the UEFA Cup and Champions League with the Portuguese side.

How many times has Mourinho been sent off?

Mourinho’s colourful career has resulted in a number of red cards, which have been a feature throughout his career. He has seen red at least 12 times in his career, although he’s been sent from the touchline many more.

Indeed, Mourinho was not technically shown a red card during his time with Chelsea over the course of his two stints at Stamford Bridge. The reason is simple: managers were not given red cards but were instead told to leave the dugout. This changed in 2018.

Perhaps the most notable instance of the Portuguese being sent to the stands came in the 2005 League Cup final, when he made a shushing gesture towards Liverpool fans after his side had equalised. He was similarly dismissed in a 2013 in a Premier League clash against Cardiff for protesting against time wasting.

Indeed, Mourinho’s first red card in England’s top-flight actually came against Chelsea, when he clashed with a staff member following a late equaliser in a 2018 clash while in charge of Manchester City.

Prior to this, he had been removed from a 2010 Copa del Rey clash against Real Murcia after telling the referee to “go to hell”. This was just one of several disciplinary controversies while at the Bernabeu, but these game in the pre-red card era.

Authorities have started to come down more heavily on out-of-control managers in recent years, and that saw Mourinho sent off seven times while in charge of Roma. Dismissals against Napoli, Hellas Verona, Atalanta (twice), Cremonese, Monza and Lazio in two years saw him branded Serie A’s red card king.

At Fenerbahce, meanwhile, he was sent off against Man Utd and would also see red after grabbing the nose of Galatasaray boss Okan Buruk following a cup match.

The red he saw with Benfica against Porto was his second in three weeks after he was also dismissed around the incident against Real Madrid in which Vinicius Junior is alleging racial abuse.