Lisbon, September 17, 2025
Benfica have dismissed head coach Bruno Lage after last night’s 3–2 home defeat to Qarabag on Matchday 1 of the UEFA Champions League league phase.
Club president Rui Costa said Benfica had “reached an agreement” with Lage, adding: “I want to thank Bruno for everything he tried to do for Benfica… but, unfortunately, the time has come for change,” he told reporters at Estádio da Luz.
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The Portuguese champions led 2–0 inside 16 minutes through Enzo Barrenechea (6′) and Vangelis Pavlidis (16′), but Qarabag hit back: Leandro Andrade (30′), Camilo Durán (48′), and an 86th-minute winner from Aleksei Kashchuk sealed the Azeri side’s first-ever victory in the Champions League’s main stage.
