"Work hard to give our fans a lot of joy"

INTERVIEW

On a day marked by medicals and physical tests testes, Benfica began the pre-season work on Wednesday, July 3. Neres was one of the players present at the start of 2024/25 and, speaking to the club media, he explained his expectations for the new season. 

Third season at Benfica. What are your expectations at the start of this new season?

Expectations are high. Playing for a club like Benfica, a club of that size always brings great expectations of achieving major things.

The first few days are also a time for the players to gather information about their own bodies. How important are these days, given that the body is your main working tool?

We were on vacation, but we were taking good care of our bodies, doing some work before pre-season, on vacation. So we arrived here not so out of shape.

You have experienced different things while playing for Benfica. Can those experiences help you bring out your best this season?

Of course, you understand that you're not always going to win. So having an experience without many victories isn't so good, but it's also for pure experience to create a bigger shield.

You are about to start your third season under coach Roger Schmidt. Do you feel that this mutual knowledge could be important?

Of course, the longer it goes on, the more we get to know each other. As you said, he already knows me well, he knows how I like to play, he knows my characteristics. I also know what he likes, what he asks for. So I think it will be easier for me.

You have also ended up building a beautiful history at Benfica. What does the club mean to you already?

It means a lot, it's already a part of me, a part of my family. I love the city, I love the club, the fans. So it's already a big part of my life.

This is also going to be a long season, both nationally and internationally, with major challenges. And different from the usual. That's why the basics of the journey that is now beginning are going to be fundamental. Getting off to a good start will be fundamental.

Yes, getting off to a good start is always important for confidence, but regardless of where we start, how we start, we're going to be focused on having the best season possible.

Let's imagine that the fans are here, looking at you eye to eye. What would you like to say to them?

I want to say that I'm happy to be back, once again, at this giant club, in this beautiful city. And I can't wait to get back to work, to work hard to do well and give our fans lots of joy.