What now for Benfica after a disappointing season

Benfica President Rui Costa will need to figure out the direction of the club for next season after a deifying past two weeks that saw the club fall twice to rivals and league leaders Sporting in league and Taca de Portugal action and although they do remain mathematically in the title chase, the chances of capturing the league title are slim at best.

Benfica also exited the Europa League in penalties to an inferior opponent in Marseille when manager Roger Schmidt decided that his game plan in the second leg was to protect their first leg win by doing so without high pressure and playing a defensive block. He was punished for his choice of a poor strategic plan, as the club lacked any offensive dynamics.

Schmidt is the big question mark in all of this, as moving on from the German bench boss will cost the club a hefty price tag, but the blame for this dilemma lands squarely at the feet of club President Costa. It was Costa who decided that German deserved an extension to his contract only a few months into his tenure. A decision that the President may have felt differently about if he had just waited for the season to conclude.

Schmidt also continues to show little flexibility and adaptability when his style of play does not work, his lack of proper use of substitutes, even when it clearly calls for them, is one of the more worrying signs for Benfica's future. The club now must decide if they will invest more funds in acquiring the players that fit into his style or move on from him and bring in a new sideline boss with a new identity who can get the most out of what the club already has on hand.

There is no doubt that Benfica, on paper, has the best squad in Portugal, but unfortunately, the game is not played on paper but on grass and on grass is where the club has faltered at almost every turn this season. Benfica fans require someone's head on a platter and President Rui Costa needs to decide what now for Benfica? Before that head is his. 

It's time to see if Benfica has players

When Benfica's game against Farense kicks off on Monday, the club could be as far back as ten points from league leaders Sporting. With little or no chance of catching them for the title at that point, it just makes sense that Benfica sees what they have in players like Orkun Kokce, Tiago Gouveia, Alvaro Fernandez and Marcos Leonardo to name a few.

With the expiring contracts of Rafa Silva and Angel di Maria at season's end. there is no need to give these players a regular spot in the starting XI going forward. There is no need to continue to play Fredrik Aursnes out of position at left back and there is no need for Otamendi to take up the playing minutes from the club's younger backs.

Roger Schmidt Out, is a common noise that you continue to hear from the club faithful, but without some sort of agreement on the departure of the German coach and the club, it may prove to be too costly to make the type of move that a large number of fans would love to see.

What Roger owes the fans after such a miserable season is a chance to see what Benfica has in players he does not use often enough. Let the fans see if these are Benfica players or not. It's the least you can do for the fans, think of it as a parting gift, Roger.

Benfica exit Europa League on penalties after abysmal performance

Benfica arrived in Marseille with a 2-1 lead after defeating the French club just one week ago and decided to lay an egg in the second leg, with a performance that you would not expect to see from a club of Benfica's stature who got their game plan all wrong on this night.

Benfica's blueprint was simple: stay back and protect a lead and hope to possibly score a counterattack goal. This plan allowed an onslaught of Marseille chances that finally paid off in the 79th minute when they scored to equalize the aggregate and take this game to additional extra time.  

Benfica were the better of the two sides in AET since they actually decided to try to get the win but by then, Marseille's players made sure to lay all over the grass, cramping and wasting time, hoping to get to penalties. The French club's plan would actually pay off, as Benfica would succumb on penalties 4-2 thanks to misses by both Angel di Maria and Antonio Silva (Why?).

Benfica looks set to end the 2023-24 season by capturing only the Super Cup back in August. This amounts to a total failure of a season for a club that, on paper, has the best squad in Portugal but may be led by the worst manager among Portugal's top clubs.

Roger Schmidt has shown that his time at Benfica should be over, as to go into Marseille with a game plan as if they were facing Manchester City was idiotic. The French club dominated the contest thanks to the fact that they were the only team that decided to show up for the majority of the game.

Schmidt's substitute choices, although minimal again, had little effect on the game, but worse yet, his decision to remove David Neres over Rafa Silva or Angel di Maria was mind-boggling, with the Brazilian creating what little attack the club had.

Rui Costa needs to find a way out of the two remaining years of Schmidt's contract and if not, hand the German and his staff €22M to go away. The money lost by keeping Schmidt and company around at the club could become astronomical and cost the President his place on top of the club if he has not yet realized this is the move to make.

The 2023-24 season has a few weeks remaining and then we can all enjoy our summer months and hope that next season does not leave the taste of manure in our mouths once again. See ya Rafa, See ya Di Maria, See ya Schmidt, one can only hope.