Coach Roger Schmidt emphasized this Saturday the great motivation and confidence with which Benfica will leave on Sunday for the Lisbon derby of the 33rd round, in the stronghold of Sporting, where they can crown themselves champions of the First Football League.
“We now have a new situation. We have worked a lot for our goals this season. If we focus on ourselves and win on Sunday, we will be champions of the Portuguese I Liga. It is a great motivation for us,” he said. the German national coach.
Speaking at a press conference ahead of the derby, at Benfica’s training center, in Seixal, Roger Schmidt recalled the difficulties Sporting will face because they are “a great team, with individual quality, creativity and speed, a clear tactical approach, a very good coach and very dangerous in transition moments”.
“I think it will be a tough game on Sunday, but we are in shape. We have played good football in recent weeks. We respect our opponents, but we are fully focused on the 90 minutes and have a lot of confidence.” in ourselves. We are ready to play a good game and win the game,” said the 56-year-old German coach.
Emphasizing that the place where Benfica can be crowned champions is a ‘non-issue’ as it could be at the home of the Lisbon rivals, something that only happened once, 48 years ago, Roger Schmidt spoke of possible changes in the ‘eleven’ start for Sunday.
“Bah is back, Gilberto is available and all the players in training are now doing very well and are fully focused. The quality of the training is top and everyone is ready to play. We have to find the right balance in the team. Fredrik [Aursnes] he has been very good at right back in the last few games, many players up front are in great shape and Fredrik is very flexible in different positions,” he said.
Roger Schmidt also explained that Benfica always try to play with “ideal football” and believe in their style of play, based on “a lot of activity and possession, pressure and moments of transition”, to “increase the chance of creating”. chances”.
Official announcement of Grimaldo’s departure was an “unnecessary mistake”
The Benfica coach, meanwhile, pondered how Grimaldo’s departure from the club, en route to Germany’s Bayer Leverkusen, was made official.
“The advertisements, the pictures, the interviews… It was not very smart, not necessary at all. He could leave and even be announced, but not like this. It was not good for his new club, as the current players I don’t want to see the focus on next season, it wasn’t good for us, because there was noise, and it wasn’t good for Grimaldo either, because what he did for Benfica doesn’t fit this situation,” he stressed.
Roger Schmidt addressed the official announcement of the departure of the Spanish left back at the press conference in anticipation of the Lisbon derby, in Sporting’s stronghold, of the 33rd round of the First Football League, which will give Benfica the title if it is country defeats eternal rival.
“It was a mistake. His new club and his agent should advise him to do better. I don’t know if it was a clear agreement to do it this way. But we need to see the overall plan.” Grimaldo has full support and is my player until the last second of the season”expressed.
The German recalled that when he took over technical command of the ‘incarnates’ there were already rumors about Grimaldo’s continuity, after staying awake during the pre-season “starting from scratch and fully focusing on the season”, something that ended up happening.
“What happened next was fantastic. Grimaldo is a key player and a leader. He has had a great season, he is always available, very professional and he is a player who has had a great responsibility this season,” said the coach of the club. eagles, 56 years old.
Knowing that Grimaldo’s contract would expire at the end of the season, Benfica “did everything to convince him to stay”, but Roger Schmidt respects the athlete’s opinion and what he intends to do in the second half of his career, without your reasons.
“We may be a little disappointed to leave, but he played seven and a half seasons at a high level here at Benfica. He was always in the starting line-up and was champion three times – let’s hope four times. There are none.” many players who have that history with only one club. I respect what he did for Benfica,” added Roger Schmidt, “closing” the theme.
Bayer Leverkusen announced on Monday that it has hired Alejandro Grimaldo, as part of the end of his contract with Benfica, until 2027, in a message published on Twitter by the German football club, currently sixth in the Bundesliga, with 49 points.
“Welcome Grimaldo. Alejandro Grimaldo has signed a contract with Bayer until 2027,” reads the message from the German team, which is still fighting for a place in the next edition with two days to go before the end of the championship of the Europa Conference League, together with Wolfsburg the last entry into European competitions.
The 27-year-old Spanish footballer trained with Valencia and completed it with FC Barcelona, after joining Benfica in the 2015/16 season and remaining with the ‘incarnates’ until this season, in which he was crowned champions three times, played until so far a total of 301 games and scored 26 goals.
Leader Benfica, with 83 points, will visit Sporting at 8.30 p.m. on Sunday, fourth with 70 points in the derby of the 33rd and penultimate round of the First League of Football, at Estádio José Alvalade in Lisbon. be settled by João Pinheiro, from the association of Braga.
Source: DN
