"I'm very happy at Benfica, I'm eager to work"

PREVIEW

In search of victory in the second leg of the Europa League round of 16, Benfica face Rangers at Ibrox Stadium at 5:45 pm on Thursday, March 14. Captain Otamendi launched the clash, in which the team will be looking to put in a good display to qualify for the quarter-finals. 

As captain, how does the team feel on the eve of the match? Do you see the match as a final? What are your expectations of the atmosphere in the stadium?

Footballers like this kind of atmosphere. Personally, it's an atmosphere I enjoy in football, it's very nice on the pitch, with the people and the atmosphere. I think it's going to be a very good match, where we'll have to have the character to play in a stadium like this. We have to play our football, not be afraid of anything, and try to do what we've trained for this week. Our opponents know us, we know them, but it's a qualifying match, and we want to do it in the best possible way to progress and stay in Europe, which is what matters most at the moment.

Benfica fans have been given a suspended sentence by UEFA for their behavior during the match in Toulouse. What do you ask of those who will be in the stands at Ibrox Stadium?

These are behaviors that are not good for football. It's regrettable, but not everyone has behaved in this way and the sanction is more than logical. We feel the support of the Benfica fans at all times. When we can't be there, we focus on ourselves, on playing our game and moving forward. Getting a win tomorrow [Thursday] is extremely important for our morale and to keep us in Europe, which is an important competition.

Taking up what you just said about the importance of winning, the results against Sporting and FC Porto are still fresh in the minds of the fans, not least because they are rivals. This is a European game in which only one team can go through. Taking all this into account, would you say it's a moment of affirmation for the team, at a time when we're entering the decisive phase of the season?

It's important for us because, as I said before, football is also about victories. It's victories that give us more peace of mind, enthusiasm, and ambition. I think tomorrow [Thursday, March 14] is an important game, in which victory will give us strength to face the competition we have ahead of us. May we play a good match, may we do it in the best possible way, and hopefully we can get a win, which will be very useful for us.

Do you confirm what you recently said in an interview, that you're fully committed to Benfica and that your future lies with the club?

It's lovely to feel important at a club. Since I arrived at Benfica, the club has offered me the best. I'm very comfortable here, enjoying the dream. When you feel happy, it gives you more drive to work, to fight and to compete. At the moment, I'm very happy at Benfica, and I'm staying here.

There's been a lot of talk, especially in the last month, about Benfica's defensive weaknesses. You've been at the club a few years and know the players who play alongside you. As captain and player, do you feel that anything has changed since last season for you to be in this less positive phase in that respect?

That's football, there are stages during the season that aren't good. The team, or the player who is stronger mentally and has personality, is able to overcome these stages. Obviously, players have left, new players have come in, there's adaptation and all that, but it's not an excuse. There are times when things don't go according to plan, but that's what makes the group stronger, overcoming difficult stages, because we all want to be in the good ones. In difficult times are when we have to be at our strongest, both the players and the coaching staff, the club, the people who work with us, who are constantly with us. It's a phase we have to get through, and hopefully quickly. Over the weekend we got a win [against Estoril], that helps, it gives us peace of mind and more desire to work. That's the way forward.