Óscar Cardozo: Return of the Heroes, episode 1

ÓSCAR CARDOZO

Sport Lisboa e Benfica's Members selected 20 of the Club's players who stood out during the 20 years of the new Cathedral, celebrated on October 25. Óscar Cardozo was one of those chosen for The Champions Wall at Estádio da Luz.

The striker opened his heart and recalled the great moments he had with an eagle on his chest at the iconic venue. The memories are full of nostalgia and the gratitude to the fans is unique.

FIRST DAY 

"It was incredible. The first time I entered the Estádio da Luz, I never thought it would be like this. The fans shouting, cheering. I've never played in a full stadium, and the truth is that I was very emotional in my first game at Estádio da Luz."

BEST MOMENT

"The one that stood out for me was the game against... There are two games. The game against Sporting in which I scored three goals and the Europa League semi-final against Fenerbahçe."

NOSTALGIA

"The encouragement from the fans when they sang the song they made for me. The truth is that it was incredible. I never thought I'd have a song at a club as big as Benfica. Very happy. It's something I'll carry with me forever. No one will ever erase it."

A STORY

"There's one that marked me out a bit. Playing here [at Estádio da Luz], I was on the bench, warming up to go on the pitch. I think I went on when there were 15 minutes left. Before I came on, a little boy said to me: 'Cardozo, you're going to come on and score a goal. I said: 'Yeah? If you score, I'll give you the jersey.' Well, I came on and, after five or six minutes, I scored the goal. I never thought I'd score a goal. I scored the goal, took my jersey off, gave it to the little boy and ran out. I came here [tunnel exit] to wait for the steward to bring me another jersey. And that really marked me."

THE CHAMPIONS WALL 

"I never expected to be in the top 20 players. Thank you to the fans. I think I've done my job well. And by scoring goals, I think I've won over the fans too. I thank the people who voted for me."

MEMORY

"[Hat-trick against Sporting in the Portuguese Cup] Ah, yes. Incredible. It will never be erased from my memory. Never, ever! To score three goals against Sporting at the Estádio da Luz is incredible. It meant a lot to me, to my family, to the fans. This moment is unforgettable. Wonderful, really."