Bruno Lage Dismisses Adi Hütter’s ‘Luck’ Claims Following Benfica’s Champions League Triumph

Following AS Monaco’s elimination from the Champions League by Benfica in a thrilling 4-3 aggregate victory, contrasting views emerged from the two managers. Monaco’s coach Adi Hütter expressed pride in his young team’s performance, suggesting they were unfortunate not to progress. However, Benfica’s Bruno Lage sharply disagreed with this assessment.

The decisive match saw Monaco initially take a 3-2 lead on the night, leveling the aggregate score, thanks to a late goal from 18-year-old substitute George Ilenikhena. However, their hopes were dashed just minutes later when Orkun Kökçü capitalized on a defensive error to secure Benfica’s victory.

In his post-match comments, Hütter praised his team’s effort, stating, “I’m immensely proud of our young squad and their performance against Benfica. In my view, we deserved to advance. Benfica were extremely fortunate. However, we must also take responsibility for not scoring more, despite having excellent opportunities. Ultimately, our failure to score enough and conceding three goals proved costly at this level.”

Lage, clearly irritated by Hütter’s remarks, responded sarcastically: “It seems that every time I win, it’s always attributed to luck.” He further added, “I’ve faced him five times now, and there’s always a complaint. Sometimes it’s about the coach, sometimes it’s about luck…”

This exchange highlights the tensions and differing perspectives that often emerge in high-stakes football matches, particularly in prestigious competitions like the Champions League.