“We're going to have a super-competitive team to attack on all fronts”

STATEMENTS

Proud to feel the Benfica fervor abroad, President Rui Costa praised the role of the Club's embassies during the inauguration of the new Casa Benfica Genève facilities on Staurday, July 20. On the sidelines of the event, he spoke to the media, addressing topics related to the players' market and the professional football team's squad.

“THIS LOVE FOR BENFICA IS A VERY GOOD INJECTION OF ENERGY”

"Given my past at the Club, and the various tasks I've had at Benfica, rather than being surprised, I'm pleased, proud to represent the Club in any capacity - at the moment as President - and to come to a Casa do Benfica abroad and see this fervor, this love for Benfica. I'm not surprised, but it always makes me very happy and it's always a very good injection of energy. It's to be thanked and praised that these people who are further away from the Estádio da Luz follow the life of the Club in this way, that they have the passion they have for the Club. As I always say, the Casas do Benfica are the Club's great ambassadors, and we really have to praise what they do, especially across borders, for the passion with which they continue to live the Club's day-to-day life."

“THERE IS A PROPOSAL FOR JOÃO NEVES ON THE TABLE”

"Both to the Benfica fans at home and to the Benfica fans of the world, I never said that João Neves would only leave for the [termination] clause, it's false that I said that. What I can say about João Neves is that it's true, and I'm not going to hide it, that there is an offer on the table, it's been reported every day.I'm not going to tell you where that proposal stands. There is an offer on the table, it's being evaluated and discussed, but at the moment João Neves remains a Benfica player. And if there is a negotiation going on, as there is with other players, allow me to reserve the right to take care of things for the best of Benfica."

“DI MARÍA REMAINS AT BENFICA”

"Di María remains at Benfica, it's been announced. He's staying at the club. Like what happened a year ago, when he was at the World Cup and came afterward to sign a contract, it's the same now. He's a Benfica player."

“THE SQUAD WON'T STAY AS IT IS TODAY”

"Bringing back more players? It's not just Di Maria who has already done that, and we've also proved it with Gonçalo Guedes. What we want is to have good players. If we can have players who also know the club and Portuguese football, that will be an advantage. Now, all those names [João Félix, Renato Sanches] that have been speculated about in the press, that's part of the timing of the market. As I said about João Neves, and as I say about all the other players, negotiations are underway. Benfica's squad won't stay as it is today, there will be departures. Probably, because we'll always be attentive to the market, there may even be some more additions, but, at the moment, the only guarantee I can give is that we'll have an extremely competitive squad to attack on all fronts, and with the ambition we have to do so. We've already said it, last season we fell short of the achievements we wanted and, as I said earlier, that year is over. We have to learn from what we didn't do well, but leave it behind and look to the future. And in looking to the future, the only guarantee I have is that we'll have a super-competitive team to attack on all fronts, as Benfica has to."

“ WE'LL CHOOSE THE BEST SQUAD FOR BENFICA”

"I'll say it again, let me not go too far outside the box, because there are negotiations going on, and they're not meant to be talked about publicly. A lot of names have been mentioned, and other names too. Two premises: Benfica will have an extremely competitive squad to attack the year as it needs to. The squad hasn't been closed, either in terms of departures or probably even arrivals. It's going to depend a lot on the market, and we're always keeping an eye on the market. There's a month and a half to go until the market closes. So far, the market has been very quiet, perhaps because of the European Championship and the Copa America. The market will start to move, we'll be attentive, and we'll certainly choose the best squad for Benfica."

“STRENGTH, VIGOR, HUMILITY AND THE COURAGE TO FIGHT FOR THE CLUB'S LEGACY”

"Benfica has to be as demanding as possible. The fact that last year we didn't achieve the goals we wanted doesn't mean that we didn't set out with maximum demands to attack the new year. In the same way that last year, when we were champions, more or less at this time, I asked for the year of the title to be behind us, and for us to aim for a new year, it's exactly the same thing I'm doing now. We're going into this season with the same expectations as our opponents. It's going to be an extremely competitive league, and we're all going to set out with the same goals. We'll have to have the strength, vigor, humility and courage to fight for what is the hallmark of a club like Benfica. The coach won't be more vulnerable, because I'm convinced that Benfica's members, of course, at the start of a year like this, will support the club as they always have. That's what's going to happen, and then we'll have to give the answers on the pitch with maximum demand in order to get the victories we want."

“OTAMENDI WILL BE A KEY PLAYER ONCE AGAIN”

"I understand Otamendi's decision to go to the Olympics. Otamendi's decision to go to the Olympics is a bit of a career prize for a player who has won everything and who is missing this competition. We decided at the time. It's not a question of privilege, but we agreed to the request of an athlete who has won everything in his career, and who lacks this achievement and has this ambition at his age. We know the professional we're dealing with, and we understand that he could go to the Olympic Games. We have enough squad to be able to start the season the way we are going to, and Otamendi will be a key player, once again, for the Benfica team."

“MAY THE FANS BE WITH THE TEAMS AND THE CLUB”

"None of us, no Benfica fan, should want to have the fans with him, especially the President of Benfica. The President of Benfica should want the fans to be with their teams and with the club. That's what I want."