Bruno Lage, the coach of Benfica, apologized to the fans after the historic loss to Qarabag with a score of 3-2 in the first round of the Champions League, confirming his responsibility for not achieving victory in two consecutive matches at home.

Lage said: "This was not the night we wanted to present to our fans; they deserve much more than that. We had a good start, but we couldn't maintain the performance for 90 minutes. My first message to them is that we have worked hard to be in the Champions League, and they do not deserve this start."

He added: "I will never be a problem for Benfica; the club has given me a lot and provided me with a great career. If the president feels that I have lost the support of the fans, I will be the first to leave. I will leave when my message does not reach the players or if the president sees that I am not the right person."

Regarding his feelings after the boos and seeing white towels from the fans, he explained: "If I were a fan, I would be very sad. We all, myself and the players, feel sad and criticized about what happened; we could not deliver a stable performance throughout the match."

Lage pointed out that the first goal caused tension in the team, adding: "We tried through substitutions to increase the pressure, but we made mistakes that rarely happen, such as leaving large spaces between the defense and the wings, which allowed the opposing team to have dangerous counterattacks."

Lage concluded his statements by emphasizing the importance of bouncing back strongly, saying: "We will work on correcting the mistakes and return with more enthusiasm to honor the name of Benfica in the upcoming matches."