- Benfica’s 6-0 win over Auckland City was marred by a stunning touchline row
- Midfielder Orkun Kokcu reacted furiously after being substituted by his manager
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A former Premier League manager was caught in an astonishing X-rated spat with his own player after the star reacted furiously to being substituted at the Club World Cup on Friday.
Benfica boss Bruno Lage, who previously managed Wolves between 2021 and 2022 in the Premier League, guided his side to a 6-0 win over New Zealand outfit Auckland City — but victory was overshadowed by an extraordinary row on the touchline midway through the second half.
In the 62nd minute, with his side 2-0 ahead thanks to goals from Angel Di Maria and Vangelis Pavlidis, Lage opted to shuffle his pack and substituted midfield stalwart Orkun Kokcu for former Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain star Renato Sanches.
Furious with his manager’s decision, the Turkish midfielder left the pitch in a sulk and refused to shake Lage’s hand, a gesture which is often performed between a player and his coach before heading for the substitutes’ bench.
According to Portuguese outlet A Bola, Kokcu shouted ‘f*** you’ in Lage’s direction as the row intensified, before reluctantly taking his seat alongside team-mates in the dugout.
Lage angrily told his player to be quiet by shushing him in response.
Moments later, to the manager’s delight, substitute Sanches scored to put Benfica three ahead, and the 49-year-old coach could not resist taking a stab at Kokcu.
Lage went over to say a few words to the player, covering his mouth with his hand. It is claimed he was telling Kokcu that he a good nose for the game.
Visibly angered by his manager’s words and actions, the 24-year-old leapt to his feet and scolded Lage, raising his index finger with a furious facial expression.
In response, the Portuguese manager again put his finger to his mouth and shushed Kokcu, who needed to be held back by team-mate Kerem Akturkoglu as he went to leave the bench.
Benfica went on to win the match 6-0, with Leandro Barreiro scoring twice and Di Maria netting his second penalty of the game deep into injury time.
After the match, Lage addressed the furious row and explained why he hooked Kokcu off midway through the second half.
‘Orkun Kokcu wanted to win and score more goals, but we decided that Renato should come on,’ he said.
‘Regardless of the players’ form, I make the decisions. In the last game, we started with Renato, and Kokcu came on later and helped us. That’s how it was today, too.’
‘I saw the behavior of a consistently professional athlete. That was a unique experience.
‘He has always behaved very well both on and off the field. He has the desire to help the team.
‘I make the decisions I have to make, no matter who it is. I’ve proven that many times. I look at the player’s current situation and make my decisions calmly.’
