Benfica Return of the Heroes 6 Nuno Gomes

NUNO GOMES

Sport Lisboa e Benfica's Members selected 20 of the Club's players who stood out during the 20 years of the new Cathedral, celebrated on October 25. Nuno Gomes was one of those chosen for The Champions Wall at Estádio da Luz.

FIRST DAY

"It was only a few months before the inauguration that I stepped onto the pitch, but in a totally different atmosphere, with empty stands. My anxiety had been building ever since the opening date was announced. Those of us who were part of the squad at the time felt lucky, because we were going to be part of the first team to set foot in the new stadium, and we were eager to live that moment, to understand how different it was from the stadium without fans. We trained here from time to time, and at other times we just came here to gear up. At some point, we started using the facilities, and the dressing rooms, but we would train outside. And on the opening day, the atmosphere was different. It was a great joy to be there that day."

BEST MOMENT

"I can't get away from that first day because I'll be attached to that moment, of being the first to score a goal in the new stadium. I have to choose that moment as one of the most memorable, because it will go down in history. In terms of goals, I'd name one I scored against Napoli here, with a header. It was a good moment for the club, which also coincided with BTV's first television broadcast."

NOSTALGIA

"All the teammates who have been through these interviews will tell you that they miss playing in this stadium, the atmosphere the fans provide and scoring goals, of course."

A STORY

"A match with Sporting, with a goal from Luisão... It didn't give us the title, but it brought us very close. We needed that win. The atmosphere in the stadium was fantastic. Then, the following week, we won at Bessa and sealed the championship there. We had to make the trip to Lisbon, we arrived very late, but that moment is also a memorable one. Not only because it was my first championship for Benfica, which I had been pursuing for many years, but also because we arrived at 3 or 4 in the morning, and the stadium was still full of people. We entered the pitch, but it took us very little time, as people flooded into the stadium eager to see the players and celebrate with the team. For security reasons, we had to gather and celebrate in this space and in the dressing room. I remember looking out onto the pitch and seeing coach Trapattoni in the air... Those were beautiful moments that marked me. We were anxious to get to Luz, but we arrived very late. Seeing the stadium full of people was remarkable."

THE CHAMPIONS WALL

"The relationship I've always had with the fans and the recognition I've always had from them, when I played and even when I stopped playing... I thank them for that. I'm proud to be associated with these 20 names and the 20 years of the stadium. I hope that my children will have the pride of one day being able to show their grandchildren who their father was."

MEMORY

"This goal [against Naval on November 14, 2010] meant a lot, it was a special moment because I was going through a difficult period, I had recently lost my father, and also on a personal level things weren't going well for me. I was getting very few minutes of playing time... When I started playing again, after my father had passed away, I was looking for a goal to dedicate to him. Without him and my mother, I wouldn't have been the player I was."