"It's a huge opportunity, it's up to us to give our all"

PREVIEW

On the eve of the first leg of the Europa League, between Benfica and Marseille, Roger Schmidt underlined the team's desire to achieve the best possible result in the match on Thursday, April 11, in order to take an important step towards the goal of advancing to the semi-finals. 

How does the team feel physically and mentally on the eve of the return to the Europa League?

I feel really good. We've played at a very high level in recent weeks. In the two games against Sporting we weren't successful, but we showed that we're in good shape physically, mentally and in terms of the football we play. The players showed quality and so did the team as a whole. That's a good calling card for the quarter-finals of the Europa League. It's a big game and a huge opportunity, because Benfica haven't been to the semi-finals of a European competition for some time. It's up to us to give everything to achieve that goal.

Marseille is a very strong team at the [Orange] Velódrome and Benfica have never lost at the Estádio da Luz in the Europa League [the name of the competition introduced in 2009/10]. Will the home factor be decisive in this tie?

We'll see. Past statistics aren't very important to me, because every game is different. What is clear is that at this stage of the Europa League all the teams are playing at a great level. Yesterday [Tuesday, April 9, in the Champions League quarter-finals] we had our first taste of what it's like to play in the quarter-finals of a European competition, with two great games and all four teams involved giving their best. That's what we expect from Marseille, but also from ourselves. The individual quality of the players is there, and now we have to be strong in the first leg at home. We need a good result, and this is not a new situation for us. In the last two ties, [Toulouse and Rangers], we also played first at home and then were able to play well away from home in the 2nd leg. We're completely focused on tomorrow's game [Thursday 11], on playing well and trying to get the best possible result.

What do you think of Marseille this season? What do you think of the team and its strengths?

Marseille is in 7th place in the French league. It's still possible to reach international competitions, so they can salvage the season with a good finish in the league, and of course, they're still in the quarter-finals of the Europa League. They've done well in international football, in the group stage, and in the last two rounds. It's a team that's playing very physical and active football, and with some clear individual quality, key players like Aubameyang, for example. I know him very well from the German league, he's playing very well for Marseille and the game, in general, is based a little on his individual quality. But overall, they have a team that makes it difficult for all the other teams to play against them. That's my opinion of their current state, because I don't care what happened at the start of the season. In the end, I have to be ready for tomorrow's game [Thursday, April 11].

Of course, I've heard a lot of things about Eriksson. I've never met him, but everything I've heard has been very positive. A top coach, a great personality in football, and he's in a very difficult situation in his life. Of course, he'll have his memories tomorrow [Thursday, April 11] when he enters the stadium and I hope he can enjoy this moment.

Now, is winning the Europa League the biggest goal for Benfica?

You say that as if it were a fact. It's not a fact, we're not giving up in the league, that's for sure. Of course, we know it's difficult, there aren't many games left, but it's still possible. It's not as if we stop playing in the league and focus completely on the Europa League. Throughout the season, we gave everything in each competition to win them. Unfortunately, in the League Cup and the Portuguese Cup, we went out in the semi-finals, but, in the end, we played good football in those games, and we were ineffective enough to take advantage of that and get a better result. That shows that we do our best in every competition. Now, the next game is for the Europa League and it's the quarter-finals. The team has worked very hard to qualify for this stage, and now it's up to us to focus completely on these two games and try everything we can to reach the semi-finals of the Europa League. 

Although Benfica released a statement on Monday [April 8] denying that it is looking for a coach, do you feel annoyed or hurt that there is so much talk about a possible replacement?

Your stories aren't my problem and I'm not going to comment on them.

As a German, what do you feel Benfica represents?

It's difficult to describe Benfica in a minute. Before I came to Benfica, I heard that someone in the past said that if you want to know Benfica, you have to be part of Benfica. This is very true. It's a great club, even from the outside, but when you're inside, it's even greater. There has been a lot of emotion, love, patience and football at this club, not just in the city, but throughout the country. It plays a big role in Portuguese society. That's why we'll do our best to win tomorrow [Thursday, April 11], because that way we can make a lot of people happy.