"Show a great reaction and fight for every title"

PREVIEW

React and fight are the watchwords underlined by Roger Schmidt in his preview of Benfica's match against Rangers in the first leg of the Europa League round of 16, which takes place this Thursday, March 7, at 8pm at Estádio da Luz.

What do Benfica have to do to get back to winning ways? How would you describe Rangers?

Firstly, we're very happy to be playing again, because we've all been disappointed and frustrated by the last few results. The next game is always a good opportunity to show a different performance and also to show good football. That's our task for tomorrow [Thursday, March 7]. It's a different competition, the third we've had to play in seven days. We know that in this competition, in the round of 16, we'll always face a tough and strong opponent. Rangers are a very good team, in first place in the Scottish league. They play objective and very direct soccer, with lots of transitions, lots of requests from deep, lots of crosses, and we have to accept this type of football. They play very well in possession and are intense when looking for the ball. We have to put in a complete display, tactically speaking, but we also have to show that we're playing at home and try to put our intensity into the game with the confidence that we can use our home advantage. We'll have a tough game, and we want to show a very good reaction after Sunday's game [against FC Porto].

Given the last match, are you thinking of making any changes to the team?

Yes, of course I always think about that. Obviously, we conceded five goals and that's completely new for us. Normally we manage and are able to keep the ball away from our area, without conceding many situations in and around our area. If you look, we've conceded four out of five goals from crosses, something that hasn't happened very often since I've been at Benfica. Of course we have to think about it. Why we're not able to keep the ball away from our goal, and why we can't defend these situations in a better, more aggressive and more disciplined way. We've talked about it, we've analyzed it. Of course, we have to think about the best tactics and the starting team for tomorrow [Thursday, March 7]. But the most important thing is that we need a good starting eleven, good substitutes, but we also need a clear plan. There's a lot of responsibility for each individual player. We've shown that over the last year and a half, and also this season. For all the disappointment about the defeat against FC Porto, which wasn't a normal defeat... it's true that we lost against Sporting, but we've won a lot of games this season, twice against FC Porto and once against Sporting. We've already shown that we can win these games, but also that we can keep a clean sheet, as we did against FC Porto [in the two victories in 2023/24]. We've shown that we can defend at a top level, we have to get back to that and all the players are responsible for that. I'm sure they'll show a good reaction.

Did you have a conversation with Rui Costa after the FC Porto match? If so, what did the President of Benfica say to you at this difficult time?

I always talk to the President, and what we talk about stays between us. I think we try to find the best approaches, regardless of wins or losses. After the game [against FC Porto], it was clear that we were shocked by the result and that we weren't satisfied with the display. But, in the end, we have to accept it. The game was hard-fought, and we can't take back those three points. My experience tells me that, in these moments, we have to be 100 percent focused on preparing the team for the next match. In soccer, after a defeat, the solution is always the same, and we find it on the pitch, whether it's the next training session or the next match. When there's a lot of noise around the team and the players, my mission is to be 100 percent focused on preparing the team in the best way, analyzing the opponent and finding the best approach for the game ahead. That's the only thing on my mind. The last few days have been good, but of course the players need to look forward again. In soccer, you can't live in the past, and you can't think too much about the future. We have to live in the present, and that's what we're doing.

At the end of the last match, you said that you didn't feel the need to apologize. Do you maintain that position, or do you feel that, after the message from Benfica's President, there was a need for such an apology?

It's not enough to apologize, we have to show a reaction on the pitch. That's what I said after the [FC Porto-Benfica] match. Of course I'm sorry for the fans, because we want to make them happy. I always say that we're here to make the Benfica fans happy, that's the most important thing of all. If we want to make them happy after the game on Sunday [March 3], we don't have to apologize, we just have to play a great game on Thursday [March 7]. We have to show from the first second that we want to react and play good football. We need the fans to get a good result before we travel to Glasgow. We have to stay united with the fans, and we all have to show that Benfica can perform at the highest level in international matches. That's what we're going to do. That's my attitude. I'm not going to pretend to have a different attitude and reflexively apologize after a defeat. I think differently, and what I want is to show different soccer and a different display in the next match. I'm focused on that. That's how I am.

After the investment made in the squad this season, do you admit that if you don't win the championship or another trophy, you'll leave Benfica?

[I don't think like that. At the moment we're playing the first leg of the Europa League last 16 against Glasgow Rangers. We're still competing. We're also still in a good situation - not a perfect situation - in the league. We still believe we can win the league and we're also in a good position in the Portuguese Cup. We're in the semi-final, we lost the first leg at Sporting, but we'll play the second leg at home. So anything is possible. I'm completely focused on that. When I renewed my contract, I didn't expect to win every trophy for Benfica in the next three years, because I know how difficult it is to win trophies. What we've shown is that we're capable of doing it, we did it last season, but also this season, when we've already won a trophy. We're not just satisfied with the Super Cup, that's very clear. But beyond all the disappointment and frustration at what happened on Sunday [March 3, against FC Porto], as a coach, I have to think a little differently. I can't look at things too emotionally because of the two defeats. I have to see the whole picture. We'd won so many games before these two defeats, I think we're going to show a great reaction again and fight for every title.