Roger Schmidt: "We need to be at our best"

PREVIEW

Benfica faces Paços de Ferreira this Thursday, January 26, at 8:15 pm, at the Estádio Capital do Móvel, in a match from gameweek 20 of the Liga Bwin.

Paços de Ferreira is currently the bottom of the Portuguese League. Do you think that this fact will have influence in the match against Benfica?

Yes, they are fighting to avoid relegation, and these teams are always dangerous, specially when they play at home. They showed it on the weekend, they have the hope and belief that they can do it. We won't judge Paços by their position in the league standings. We analyzed the opponent, and we think they have a good team, with every chance of staying in the League. They have individual quality, a clear game philosophy, with seasoned players, and we will not underestimate them. We need to be at our best, very focused, and of course we have the opportunity to get three points. It won't be easy, we are prepared for a difficult match.

Why did you decide to loan the central defender João Victor?

João Victor is part of the history of this season. In the summer we were in a complicated situation, at the end of the transfer window we had Lucas Veríssimo, Morato and João Victor, three top central defenders, with long-term injuries. In the last match before moving to Benfica, João Victor got injured, and it turned out to be more complicated than we expected. João Victor is great, we believe in him, but he wasn't getting enough playing time. He had the opportunity to go on loan, to play more, and it was a good decision both for him and for us. Players have to play. He will come back to Benfica and I hope he plays a lot for us, because he is very good.

Are you confident that Enzo will remain at the club?

Yes. When you see him playing for Benfica, you see a player at his best level, very happy to be playing for the Club. There is nothing else on the athlete's mind. I don't expect to lose any of our star players, and I see them all very focused.

With the moves in this January transfer window, do you think you have an even stronger and more balanced squad?

We signed some players, sold others, and integrated some players from our Academy... Throughout the season, we have to get the best out of each player, and our job is to make adjustments. The people in charge of the Club are working very well, and we also need to understand the players' wishes. Some may want to leave because they are not playing what they wanted at Benfica, we have to respect that and find solutions. We had many players, and, in this January transfer window, we took advantage of the moment to solve some situations in the squad.