“I'm very proud of what I did at Benfica”

It's with a sense of accomplishment and fond memories of his time as an eagle that João Mário ends his spell at Benfica. In a interview with the Club's media, the midfielder reviewed the journey that began in 2021 and left a message of optimism for the future. 

“INCREDIBLE” JOURNEY AT BENFICA

"Incredible. It was a pleasure to be at Benfica. The club has given me incredible status, I've reached my maximum as a player at Benfica. I'm sorry I wasn't able to complete the 150th match, but I'm very proud of my career at the club, and it was a pleasure to wear the Benfica jersey."

BEST DISPLAYS WITH EAGLE ON YOUR CHEST

"It's always difficult. Individually, I always remember the game against Inter [29/11/2023] because I scored a hat-trick. Champions League games with Juventus [1-2 in Turin on 14/09/2022] are always more difficult. The match with Vitória de Guimarães [18/03/2023]... These are always special moments. The game with Vizela [02/09/2022], too! I think that, individually, the games in which I took part and managed to contribute to a victory are always the ones I remember the most."

THE “EXTRAORDINARY” 2022/23 SEASON

"Confidence, great confidence, from everyone. It was a bit of a snowball effect. The team was very good. It culminated in an extraordinary season, and it was the best season of my career."

AN ATMOSPHERE OF TOTAL HARMONY

"Everyone at the club was in tune. Between the players, the fans... It was undoubtedly a great synchronization of everything, and I repeat: it culminated in a great joy for everyone and that will undoubtedly always be in my memory."

THE DIFFERENCES IN 2023/24

"Some things have changed, it's hard to explain. The dynamics... You lose a bit more confidence at times. The season didn't get off to the best start either, it got a bit rocky there, and, as I said, sometimes, for better or worse, the snowball effect can go both ways, and I didn't manage to perform as well. Obviously we always try to improve and do more and better. It just wasn't possible. I also lost a bit of confidence during the year, and it wasn't at all what I wanted."

BENFICA'S “GIANT” DEMAND

"Perhaps it's the demand. At Benfica you want everything, you always want more and more, game after game. I've given this example several times: even when I scored a hat-trick, I was asked from the stands for a fourth goal. In other words, there's this insatiability that's different at other clubs, that's different in other challenges I've had, and I think I'd say that. Benfica is... The demand is always huge and that makes all the difference."

PRESSURE: THE IMPORTANCE OF BALANCE

"I think it's a bit of a balance. And I would say the word balance is key to everything. It's key to personal life, it's key to professional life. It's all about trying - whether it's us players or our fans - to have that balance so that it doesn't become suffocating for us players. We always understand that if we're playing well it's much easier, but that this doesn't become something that works against us in negative moments or the most difficult times. And that also depends especially on our fans."

COACHES YOU MET AT BENFICA

"[Jorge Jesus] Someone I already knew very well. Someone I hold in high esteem, a great coach. Someone who, over the seasons I worked with him, gave me a lot of confidence, a lot of knowledge, a very special coach for me and for my career, without a doubt. I'm very grateful to him for everything he did for me at Benfica, and without a doubt he'll always be in my heart, in my thoughts, because he really is a special coach and he helped me a lot."

"[Nélson Veríssimo] He was a different coach to the others I've had. Although I didn't play much, I hold him in high esteem as a person. He also came in at a difficult time, when things weren't going well and I wasn't doing so well either, but I'd still like to thank him for everything he helped me with and for the person he was and how he always treated me."

"[Roger Schmidt] I think I've said everything I think about the person. The coach.... I think he's a special coach because he manages to create a good atmosphere throughout the club, tactically very good, very demanding, very attractive football. We showed that a lot in our first year with him. Unfortunately, we weren't able to continue that in the second year, but he's undoubtedly a coach who has marked my career. And not just for the coach he is, because he's a very good coach, but also for the great person he is."

GREAT MOMENTS AT ESTÁDIO DA LUZ

"It's always a special moment, a moment when the tension is at its highest. Obviously we know we'll always have great support, a full stadium, and that makes all the difference. And there's no doubt that I've experienced great moments here and I always remember great victories and great goals in this stadium."

LAST MATCH FOR BENFICA

"It was a game... It's a bit special for me, on the negative side, because obviously we know that - and I've had several good moments, several bad moments here, on this pitch, in this stadium - I've always tried to give my all. I think people often recognized that, and I also tried to thank them for it. That game was special because I felt that there was a very big negative and personal charge, and I think that when that's the case, it's a moment when we often realize that it's time to end a cycle. Obviously it wasn't just for that game, for that moment, but it was a decisive and defining moment for the rest of my history with Benfica."

A MIXTURE OF FEELINGS

"É It's a mixture of feelings. It's a bit... a bit unfair, I would say, because I know how much I give - both on and off the pitch - to the club. Obviously, people often don't see the invisible work that I do, and that I know I've given a lot. So I felt a bit wronged because I believe that when you are whistled by your own fans, there has to be a very strong reason. And I believe that in that game there was nothing very strong to justify what happened. But, as I say, we're human, and people are human too. I don't hold any grudges. I think that people often have to express themselves in the way they want and feel, as I also do, and also depending on what happens, to make decisions. It was a defining moment for me, but I don't hold any grudges."

“VERY POSITIVE” JOURNEY

"We all know that there are often cycles in football and in life. And I leave satisfied above all because I think my time at Benfica was very positive. I'm very proud of what I did at Benfica, and that's the most important thing for me. I think the game against Casa Pia was a detail in something that was much bigger because of what I did at Benfica. So I'll cherish this club and these memories much more positively than that event itself."

EMOTIONAL FAREWELL IN SEIXAL

"It's always hard to say goodbye to a place where you've been for a long time, where you've had great affection, where everyone has treated you well. Everyone at Benfica treated me very well, from day one. There are always difficult moments and sad moments, but that's part of it. Everyone knows that's part of football, part of life. My teammates also understand my decision perfectly and, above all, I will cherish all the moments I spent with all of them, with all the people at Seixal. From the aunts who help us with breakfast and all the meals, to all the people who work for Benfica, for this great club. Farewells are part of life, but it was certainly emotional because it was a very positive stage."

START OF THE 2024/25 SEASON

"I think it was a bit of a consequence of last season. Obviously all the things we did in pre-season indicated that the start of the league would be very good. We lost a lot of confidence with that game in Famalicão, nobody was counting on the game happening, the result, everything. It really brought back a lot of memories from last year, and I think it was perhaps the decisive game for things to turn out the way they did. Often a result like that takes away a lot of confidence, and then a snowball effect starts that is often difficult to justify, but it culminated in what it did."

UNITY FOR A BRIGHTER FUTURE

"I believe we have the best squad in Portugal. I believe that if everyone pulls together, if everyone continues to believe in these players, who have a lot of potential, a lot of quality... There are also a lot of young people, you have to give them some time and be patient with the team. But I believe that if a very big red wave is created here, Benfica can be champions."

FAN SUPPORT IS “FUNDAMENTAL”

"I think people often don't realize that, even in negative moments, if they're always on our side, we can turn things around. Obviously we understand that there are times when it's impossible, that people are also right and fair, but I believe that if they understand that together it really does make a difference to us players, and to us as a team, it will be possible to do something very nice this year."

GRATITUDE: “BENFICA HAS GIVEN ME A LOT”

"The first day I arrived here and was introduced, I never imagined that Benfica would give me so much and that I would be able to match it so well and reach a level that I hadn't yet reached in my career. I'm leaving very happy because I think I've achieved some great things here. I've had some beautiful moments. I managed to become a champion, which was a great desire of mine, and I leave feeling very complete because Benfica gave me so much."

MESSAGE TO BENFICA FANS

"I'd like to thank them, because they've really given me a lot over the years. They've helped me a lot. The people I deal with on a daily basis, in the streets and everything, have always been very grateful for the work I've done here at Benfica, for being Benfica's captain, for everything. I'd like to thank them because they were really important to me. We've had some beautiful moments, and they'll always be in my heart, because from today onwards, I'll be one more person cheering for Benfica to always be champions. And I hope to be here again soon, at the Estádio da Luz, supporting Benfica."