Javi García: “I thank the president and Rui Costa"

Javi García recalled, in an interview with the Official Site, the three season in which he defended the colors of Benfica, a club that served as an impulse and projected him to a "huge leap in his career”.

“I'm very grateful to the president and Rui Costa because, after all, they were the ones who took me to Benfica. My footballing career had a great leap and I am very grateful. About the president  I just have words of gratitude”, said the Spanish player.

Luís Filipe Vieira completed, last month, 14 years as the maximum leader of Sport Lisboa e Benfica. The bet in the Youth training as a strategic line of the sports policy of the Club is applauded by Javi García.

“Benfica has many good players in the Youth Teams, they work very well and an example of that is the UEFA Youth League and the path they have been having in that competition. They are always in the final stages.”, he highlighted.

Formed at Real Madrid, Javi García arrived at Luz with 22 years. At Benfica, the burden of responsibility didn't change, he assures.

“They are two important clubs in the respective countries, is Spain and in Portugal. I didn't feel the burden, but in both clubs, I felt a huge responsibility. Benfica also is a club the is obliged to win, it is obliged to be champion and the same can be said for Real Madrid”, he analyzed.

The 30-year-old confesses that he follows Benfica and, “whenever the work allows it”, he watches the matches. In a season where the reds run for a unprecedented fifth league title in a row – after the also unprecedented fourth consecutive league title –, Javi believes in the 37th league title, but he alerts for the quality of the opponents league that is  “still in the beginning ”.

Text: Filipa Fernandes Garcia

Pics: Archive / SL Benfica