Sunday, March 17, 2024

Kokcu under fire for unauthorized interview

Benfica Blog
Orkun Kokcu's season has not gone very well at Benfica since his arrival in the summer, other than some moments of brilliance, the Turkish international has had his fair share of disappointing performances throughout the season.

Now the 23 year old finds himself in hot water with the club, thanks to an unauthorized interview given with a Dutch newspaper, De Telegraaf, in which he talks about his difficult season at Benfica and criticizes coach Roger Schmidt's usage of the player when he is positioned out on the field.

Kokcu did not say in the interview that he wants to depart the club and would like to succeed while at Benfica, but he hopes Roger Schmidt uses him properly on the field, so that he can provide the quality he feels he has yet to show to the club and prove to the fans that the highest signing in club history is not actually a bust.

The club has been silent on the interview to date, with only manager Roger Schmidt acknowledging the outburst in an pre-game interview and remarking that he will speak to the player privately. Disciplinary action is expected against Kokcu by the club for breaking club protocols, which could amount to a suspension or fine for his actions.


Friday, March 15, 2024

Benfica advance in Europa and find out next opponents

Benfica Blog
Benfica pulled out a victory yesterday over Rangers 1-0 in their second leg Europa League round of 16 game at Ibrox in Glasgow to advance 3-2 on aggregate and move into the final eight of the competition. In what turned into a sloppy affair, thanks to a constant downpour of rain, a second half Rafa Silva goal was the difference as the club moved one step closer to the final in Dublin.

The club learned just a few hours ago that their next round opponent will be French club Marseille, who have turned their game around after a managerial change over the past few weeks. The first leg will go on April 11 at the Estadio da Luz, with the second a week later in Marseille at the Velodrome. The winner of this contest will take on the winner of Liverpool or Atalanta in the semi-finals of the competition.

Monday, March 11, 2024

Benfica's Rafa Silva named player of the month for February

Benfica Blog
Benfica forward Rafa Silva has been named the Portuguese League player of the month for February in a distinction promoted by the players union, after scoring five goals, while setting up an additional two in four games of action.

Rafa is the first Benfica player to win the award this season, as Sporting striker Viktor Gyokeres has dominated the award all season long since arriving in the summer at the club's green and white rivals.