“We're going to fight this season to make the fans happy”

INTERVIEW

In his first statements as a Benfica player, Zeki Amdouni presented himself as a dynamic striker who likes to have the ball, and he stressed the opportunity to represent a big club with the DNA to fight for every title. 

Zeki Amdouni, do you consider yourself a happy man? 

I'm very happy to be here. I know it's going to be a long and demanding period. But today, when I'm here, I'm very happy.

Over the last two years, you've made your mark with Basel, the Swiss national team and the English Premier League. Was it like the perfect way to get here, to Benfica?

First of all, I'd like to say that Benfica is a very big club which, for me, has to fight for every title every year. After the last three seasons, where I established myself as a better player, I'm here now to help the team too.

You have that killer instinct, both inside and outside the box. Goals have always been part of your life...

For sure, we'll say that. Even if I didn't play all the time as a striker and even if I was a little further back, I've always managed to score goals and that's also my instinctive side, which I also want to bring to the team.

But you also like to take part in construction as a "false nine". Does this freedom help you unleash your creativity?

In any case, I've always said that I don't want to be a static striker who excludes himself from the construction process. I want to be flexible. To have the ball, to create action. That's one of my strengths too.

What does it mean to you to wear the Benfica shirt?

It's an honor, of course, to wear this shirt and I'm going to love wearing it in front of the fans.

Benfica is a huge club. What do you feel you have to do to get into the hearts of the Benfica fans?

Of course, I know that it's a very big club, that the fans support the club passionately and so do the players, so we're going to fight this season to make them happy.