Wednesday, May 29, 2024

Benfica authorize Otamendi to appear at the Olympics

Benfica Blog
Benfica has authorized captain Nico Otamendi to participate in the Summer Olympics during the off season according to reports from Argentina. Benfica and the Argentinian Football Association have held discussions and an agreement was made with Benfica, who gave the green light for this to happen.

Otamendi will also likely represent Argentina in the Copa America taking place before the Olympics, with the Copa taking place between June 20 to July 14 and the Olympics from July 24 and August 9. This will leave the 35 year old with little to no rest days, depending on the performance of Argentina in the two tournaments. 

 

Sunday, May 26, 2024

Atalanta win gives Benfica direct entry to Champions League

Atalanta did Benfica a favour by defeating Torino 3-0 earlier today and locking a spot in Serie A's top four. The victory hands Benfica a direct entry into next season's Champions League and a minimum of about €40M that the club can put into their coffers.

Since Atalanta won the Europa League earlier this week, it gained automatic entry to next season's Champions League, but by guaranteeing a top 4 spot in Serie A, the Europa League spot now becomes vacant and goes to the best ranked club in the Champions League qualifying stage, which is Benfica.

The direct entry will adjust Benfica's off season plans as they can now focus on strengthening the club, with the group stage only kicking off in September as opposed to playing two rounds of qualifying, which would have commenced in early August.

The revamped Champions League format will see all clubs that qualify for the group stage play a minimum of eight games now, two against clubs in pots 1, 2, 3 and 4. The top eight clubs out of the 36 clubs advance automatically into the round of 16. While the clubs that finish 9th to 24th play a two leg playoff for a spot in the round of 16. 

Clubs that finish 25th or lower are eliminated from the competition and have no entry into the Europa League. Benfica will be seeded in pot 2 when the draw takes place on August 29th.

Angel di Maria set to return to Argentina

Benfica Blog
Angel di Maria's time at Benfica looks like it will be one and done, according to reports from Portugal's sports dailies. The Portuguese press is reporting that Di Maria has a verbal agreement in place to return to his childhood club, Rosario Central, amid for just six months.

Di Maria has always stated that his dream would be to finish his career at Rosario, but an event in March, when the 36 year old winger received threats to himself and his family if he were to return to Argentina, put those thoughts in doubt.

Di Maria is said to have had a change of heart and is once again open to returning to Rosario but he would do so alone, with his family moving to Miami to live. Di Maria is also demanding that heavy security be provided by Rosario for himself and that he will live in Buenos Aires, a full 300 km away from Rosario.

Benfica President Rui Costa is still set to meet Di Maria next week to discuss the winger staying at the club for another season, but a social media post by his spouse stating that she and Di Maria will miss Otamendi and his spouse has set the rumour mill of departure on overdrive.

Friday, May 24, 2024

Our 1000th Blog... Unbelievable

Benfica Blog
When I first decided to create an English blog dedicated to Benfica, I never imagined that I would still be going strong almost 5 years after my first post. The years have gone by and there have been happy times, sad times and plenty of other emotions that range from high to low when it comes to this club from Lisbon.

I never imagined that I would grow a following, not only on Blogger but also on Twitter, Flipboard and Reddit. I have striven to provide an honest look at Benfica over these years without being biased in my views of the club and on the majority of occasions, I feel that I have accomplished that.

This has now become a passion of mine and I hope to continue providing the fans of this blog with the latest insights, news and potential moves pertaining to the club for another 1000 posts. Here's a toast to that.

Thank you to everyone who has supported this blog over the years and I hope you continue to do so going forward. 

Links to some of our pages are below if you would like to follow me in other areas.

X (Formerly Twitter) - CLICK HERE

Reddit - CLICK HERE

Flipboard - CLICK HERE

Wednesday, May 22, 2024

Benfica left twisted after Europa League final

Benfica Blog
Benfica got an unfavourable result with the final score of the Europa League final, as Atalanta defeated Bayer Leverkusen, leaving Benfica waiting in the wings to see if they will get direct entry into the Champions League group stage next season.

A Leverkusen win would have seen Benfica earn an automatic spot as opposed to their current 3rd qualifying round spot but all is not lost for the Lisbon club as a Top 4 finish by Atalanta in Serie A would also see the club earn the automatic spot.

Atalanta currently sits in fifth place in Italy, trailing both third and fourth place by two points with a game in hand, but with their Europa League win, they do not have anything to really play for in their final two games, which could prove costly for Benfica in regards to their direct entry hopes.

Sunday, May 19, 2024

Roger Schmidt looks set to stay at Benfica

Benfica Blog
Roger Schmidt looks set to remain at Benfica next season, after a disappointing 2023-24 campaign. The German manager still has two years remaining on his contract with the club and it would be quite costly for Benfica to move on from the 57 year old and his staff. It looks like the decision has been made for Schmidt to stick around for at least another season.

Schmidt is said to have turned down another approach from Bayern Munich this past week as he is committed to remaining at Benfica and returning the club to glory next season. Schmidt has captured two trophies with Benfica, the Portuguese League title in 2022-23 and the Super Cup in the summer of 2023. The club and its fans hope Schmidt can find the magic that made the club so spectacular to watch in his first season.

Friday, May 17, 2024

Benfica ends disappointing season with a draw

Benfica Blog

Benfica's 2023-24 disappointing season is finally over and the off-season can begin tomorrow to improve this club for the upcoming season, which is set to commence in August. Benfica, in their final game of the season, gave up an injury time penalty that allowed Rio Ave to gain a 1-1 draw in a match that saw the club use a handful of second stringers in their final starting eleven.

Benfica does not go home empty handed during the campaign, having captured the Super Cup to kick off the Portuguese season, but that was all the way back in August and many fans, myself included, do not see that as anything but a minor consolation for what turned into a season of sour grapes.

Benfica have a lot of decisions to make over the next couple of months, with the biggest being whether manager Roger Schmidt will continue on the sidelines. The club will also need to find itself a striker and look at improving both wing back positions if they are to succeed going forward.

What is certain this off-season is that the club will see the departure of Rafa Silva, but Orkun Kokcu seems to be a viable replacement, as the Turkish attacking midfielder has looked much improved since being placed in his desired position the past couple of months. 

Let the rumour mill begin as the off season is officially on

Wednesday, May 15, 2024

Benfica renews contract with Betano for three more years

Benfica Blog
Benfica have renewed their contract with sleeve sponsor Betano for three more seasons, as the gambling company with remain the club's "Official Betting Sponsor" until the end of 2026-27 season. The sports betting company has been sponsoring Benfica since 2021 and the two sides hope to continue to grow their global presence through this partnership. The Betano sponsorship includes Benfica's B team and under 23 teams.


Monday, May 13, 2024

Benfica ready for new discussions with PSV for left back

Benfica Blog
Roger Schmidt wants reinforcements at Benfica for next season and is looking at former club PSV for a new starting left back. Schmidt had already asked Benfica upon his arrival for PSV wingback Mauro Junior, but the price tag at the time was higher than Benfica was comfortable paying.

After a season when the club struggled to find a regular left back after the departure of starter Alex Grimaldo during the summer. Schmidt is hoping that the club will land his preferred choice all along in the 25 year old Brazilian left back.

With Junior's contract set to end in the summer of 2025, the Dutch club could be more inclined to move the left back for a lower value to avoid him walking for free. Junior has been at PSV since the summer of 2017 and has appeared in 124 games across all competitions.

Benfica should do what it takes to get a reliable left back after the carousal of left backs that were used this season. Benfica used a total of six different players at some point throughout the season, with many playing out of position. The club will need to make sure they hit on this move, as it will be important to succeed next season.

Friday, May 10, 2024

Rafa Silva set to say good bye to Benfica fans

Benfica Blog
Rafa Silva's tenure at Benfica is set to come to an end at the conclusion of the season when his contract comes up, making him a free agent after spending the past eight seasons with the Lisbon club. Rafa has already informed President Rui Costa that he will not be returning to the club next season.

The speedy forward joined Benfica from Braga for €16M in the summer of 2016 and the club has gotten the most out of the soon to be 31-year-old. Rafa has appeared in 325 games across all competitions, scoring 92 goals while providing 78 helpers. 

Rafa ends his Benfica career in the Top 25 of all time in both appearances and goals scored and captured six trophies during his eight seasons at the club, with three of the silverware being a league championship.

Benfica play their final home game of the season this weekend against Arouca at the Estadio da Luz and Rafa will be set to say his good bye to the club's fans as he moves onto the next chapter of his playing career as a fan favourite for his long time commitment to the club.

Tuesday, May 7, 2024

Benfica's season is over.... now what?

Benfica Blog
Benfica's 2023-24 campaign is all but done with two meaningless games remaining in league action as the club settles for second spot this season after their humiliating loss to Famalicao over the weekend handed the Portuguese League crown to cross-town rivals Sporting. 

President Rui Costa will have some serious decisions to make this summer, with the most hotly debated being whether manager Roger Schmidt should return for a third season after a disappointing campaign that saw the club only capture the Super Cup to kick off the football season.

Schmidt still has two years remaining on his contract and his departure from the club with his staff could prove quite costly. The other decisions that Costa will need to make is which players will remain with the club next season and which will see their time end.

The club has free agents in Angel di Maria and Rafa Silva. The thought is that both would be open to remaining with the club, but Costa would be best to save those potential big salaries that both players would command and go in a different direction next season.

Benfica also has a striker issue, with only Marcos Leonardo, who arrived in January, likely to continue at the club next season. So look for the club to move on from low scoring strike options Arthur Cabral and Casper Tengstedt when the summer window opens.

Look for Benfica to also cash in on some of their more valuable youngsters, with Antonio Silva and Joao Neves' names the most mentioned moving on, but I can only see the club moving on from one of the two, with the most likely candidate being Antonio Silva.

Benfica should also make some smaller moves with the likes of Joao Mario, Florentino and Morato potentially donning new club jerseys next season. This will be an interesting summer and Benfica fans hope that the next set of departures and arrivals will bring silverware next season.

Sunday, May 5, 2024

Benfica need to win for any hope at title

Benfica Blog
Benfica go into their game against Famalicao with a slim chance of repeating as Portuguese League champions, but they will need a victory today to remain in contention. The magic number is now one for Sporting to clinch the Portuguese League crown, which could happen as early as next weekend, but Benfica needs to let Sporting earn the title and not give it to them with dropped points in this game.

It has been a disappointing season for Benfica fans. A lot more was expected from this team, which on paper is the strongest squad in the Portuguese League but has been poorly managed all season. The club will see a series of changes during the summer season, which should see a series of players coming in and going out.

Kick off for today's game is at 8:30pm WEST.

 

Thursday, May 2, 2024

Benfica linked to Guimaraes forward Jota Silva

Benfica Blog
Benfica are looking within the league for a possible reinforcement, with Guimaraes' winger Jota Silva being linked with a summer move to Lisbon, according to reports coming out of Portugal this week.

Jota Silva was recently named the league player of the month for March in Portugal and also earned his first call up to the Portugal national side during this same month, coming on as a substitute in two contests.

Jota has been a key player for Guimaraes this season as the Minho club battles for a top three spot for the first time since the 2007-08 season. Jota has appeared in 39 games across all competitions, scoring 15 goals while providing seven helpers.

Guimaraes is said to be looking for €15M to move on from Jota, which would be a hefty profit on the €190K that they paid Casa Pia in the summer of 2022 to acquire the 24-year-old.

Wednesday, May 1, 2024

Benfica working on purchasing all of Morato's pass

Benfica Blog
Benfica are looking to add the 15% of center back Morato's pass that the club currently does not own at this time. With those rights still belonging to his former club, Sao Paulo, Benfica have been in constant discussions to obtain those rights, whether they decide to sell the player or keep him during the off-season.

Benfica acquired Morato in the summer of 2019 for €7.6M and the 22 year old has appeared in 83 games for the club across all competitions, scoring twice while providing two helpers since joining the club. Morato has garnered interest from clubs in Europe's bigger leagues but with the potential of Benfica moving current starter Antonio Silva in the summer. The Lisbon club would like to hang onto the left-footed defender, who would most likely slide into a starting role with the club.