"We're united and together I hope to win many more titles in the coming years"

PREVIEW

Confident in the ability of his players and the group as a whole, Roger Schmidt looked ahead to the match against Sporting on Sunday, November 12, on matchday 11 of the Liga Betclic. 

In a match where you could go top of the league, what do Benfica have to do to beat Sporting?

We have to play a very good game. First, we're happy to be playing at home again because we haven't done it for a while, we've had three away games. It's also good to do it after a game in which we lost, and we're disappointed. The good thing about football is that there's always a new game, especially in this case against Sporting. It's a great opportunity to show ourselves again. Sporting are having an excellent season, they've won almost every game, they've only drawn one [in the league]. As I said, if we win, we'll be top of the league, that says it all. They [Sporting] are having a great season, but so are we. Of course, head-to-head matches are very crucial, we've known that since last season. The games with Sporting last season were very good, both ended in draws. Our objective on Sunday [November 12] is to play a top game, show a very good reaction and win the game.

Most of your big matches in Portugal last season were against FC Porto. How do you see Sporting at the moment? Do you see them as real contenders to win every competition in Portugal?

Sporting, FC Porto and SC Braga are very good teams and always have the quality to fight for titles. Last season, Sporting didn't start well, they lost a lot of points early on, but they were always competitive and tough to play against. This season, they've started in a completely different way. They've always kept the players together, they've got a new spearhead, who's been playing very well from the start. They're a very balanced team, they have the same coach, and they're used to playing with each other. They're a good team, just like FC Porto and SC Braga. We're very competitive in all the Portuguese competitions. I was expecting what's happening in the League at the moment.

What's the situation with Kökcü, Bah and Juan Bernat? Are they definitely out of the game? Are there any other injuries apart from these players and Neres?

These are the four players who are unavailable and are also out for Sunday.

At the last press conference, after the Real Sociedad game, you said that the team wasn't ready for the game. You also took the blame. How did you prepare for the game against Sporting?

Of course, it's my responsibility to prepare the team in all the important aspects, tactically, physically, mentally... When we analyze the game, what happened to us could have happened to Inter Milan or Barcelona, it was exactly the same thing. They started very intensely, created a lot of chances, and the big difference between those games [against Inter Milan and Barcelona] and ours is that this time they were very efficient. They used the first two attacking moments to score. We knew that, but the truth is that we weren't 100% prepared. Of course, we always ask ourselves what we could have done differently in our approach. But that was the game. On the other hand, we have a different situation in the league. It's a big game on Sunday, a great opportunity for us. Of course there's a lot of pressure for us, for them [Sporting], but from what I know of my team from the past, from last season, the way we fought through difficult times to become champions, the way we fought this season in an important game like the Super Cup, I think that under pressure we can perform well. My players aren't perfect, but they're always very motivated and have a very good attitude. I believe 100% in my players, in the group. We were all disappointed and frustrated after the Real Sociedad game, but yesterday I sensed a positive atmosphere in our group, a lot of self-criticism, dissatisfaction with our performance, so we're ready and preparing for the game in the best possible way to play a top game and try to show off to our fans. It's also important that our fans feel from the start that we're ready to fight for the title this season.

You blamed yourself [after the Real Sociedad game]. What have you been missing?

I've already answered the same question a few times. I take responsibility, that's what I always do because I'm the coach. I'm responsible for everything, how we train, how we play football, what our culture is like within the group... I'm responsible for everything. Of course, I'm responsible if we don't play good football and if we lose games. But it's part of football to lose games. When I signed my contract, I didn't see that we had to win every title until 2026. We work very hard, like last season, for all the titles, but even when we're fighting in another competition like the Champions League... it's not a shame, we played against very good teams. VLook at Inter Milan and the way they're playing in Serie A, Real Sociedad are, for me, currently one of the top teams in Europe, if they keep this up and all the players are physically fit, they're capable of having a top season in the Champions League too. We're not at our best at the moment, but that's part of football. What we have to do is look forward, accept it, be professional, work hard and show a good reaction in the games that follow. That's what we always have to do. We are far from losing our confidence and conviction. We are united and, together, I hope to win many more titles in the coming years.

Do you feel that the result of this match could have an impact on your future at the club?

No. I've said it a few times: I've signed a new contract until 2026, because I'm convinced, and I love being at Benfica. I don't expect us to always win, always be successful, or always play top football until 2026. What I know from my experience is that we always have some difficulties during the season. Getting through to the knockout phase of the Champions League is very important for us, for the club, for the players, for everyone. We have a lot of motivation for that, but sometimes if we have situations like we've had this season in the group stage, we have to accept that the other teams are in better shape at the moment. We've had our game stories this season, and we have to accept that we're out, but that can't be the reason to lose confidence in Benfica and in my position. I feel the confidence of the club and my goal is to say goodbye to Benfica in 2026 at the Marquês de Pombal. That's my goal and I believe it's possible.