“It's a club that I love”

Ahead of the clash between Manchester United and Benfica for the Champions League, midfielder Nemanja Matic has revealed how his time in Lisbon helped him refine his game.

The Serbian international spent nearly three seasons at Estádio da Luz, from 2011 to 2014, and transfer to Chelsea as one of the best in his position Chelsea – club he had represented before his spell in Portugal.

At Benfica he played 99 games in all competitions, won a Player of the Year award and won a Ligue titles, a Portuguese Cup and two League Cups.

In an interview with MUTV, Matic spoke about his affection for Benfica, Club that has a special place in his heart and that he will never forget.

“It’s a special club, a club that I love,” said Matic. “At Benfica, I learnt a lot about football and about the pressure of playing for a big club, because they are one of the best clubs in Europe. “he added.

“I will support Benfica for the rest of my life, because it has a special place in my heart, but in the Champions League I hope we can take points from them”, he smiled.

The team from Luz have begun their Champions League campaign in forgettable fashion, but the Serbian  praised the team. “ was surprised because Benfica is a team who’s used to winning games. It's a big club and they have good players, I think everyone there is hard to play against.”, he said.

There are six or seven players still there that played with me, and they have a few younger guys who want to show their quality, but I cannot mention any stand-outs because, as a team, they are really good”, he stated.