"A trophy for us, the club and the fans"

PREVIEW

On the eve of the Portuguese Cup final derby against Sporting, captain Otamendi guaranteed Benfica's total focus on the game and the ambition to win the trophy. The match is scheduled for 5:15 pm at the Estádio Nacional on Sunday, May 25.

I'd like to ask you how the group is at the moment? What kind of opponents and what kind of game do you expect, given that it's a final?

The group has had a good week, we've worked hard, and there's nothing better than having a final to look forward to, getting ready to compete and playing a good game. The truth is that our mindset is focused on tomorrow's game, on doing things well and trying to get a good result and be happy.

As team captain, do you feel your pride has been hurt by what happened in the last two games and by losing the league to Sporting? Do you think this Cup match is more than just a Cup match? Is it more than that? We know that there are elections at the club in October, that Rui Costa defended Bruno Lage, ensuring his continuity, but then there are the fans, and we know what Benfica fans are like when they don't get results.

Of course, when you lose, you're hurt, you're sad, because it's a championship in which you compete all year for a goal, and that's normal. It hurt the whole group to lose the championship at the final moment. Tomorrow we have another final ahead of us, and we're going to try to do a good job, as I said before, so that we can win the title. To do that, we have to approach it in the best possible way. The fans clearly had the same hope as us of winning the [league] title, but it didn't happen and we have to turn the page and focus on tomorrow's game, which is important. It's a title for us, for the club and for our fans, who support us every weekend to give us the strength to lift a trophy. The truth is that we hope to be well tomorrow and be able to lift it and give it to them as well.

I was wondering what you could do differently, given that Benfica's last two games with Sporting were draws. Have you also practiced penalties, since the League Cup was decided on penalties?

Well, apart from the result, I think we deserved a bit more in the match at the Estádio da Luz, but the ball wouldn't go in. We tried every which way, the team always went forward, and the truth is that we're going to try to do the same and better so that we can come away with a positive result, which is the most important thing and the one that defines this final. I hope we can put on a good show this time, both teams. That we play for as long as possible - which is the most important thing - that we don't waste time with breaks, fouls and things like that, and that we can play for as long as possible and put on a good show for everyone. Penalties, as much as we practice them, are different in the game. We haven't practiced them just for today. We train during the week, all year round. We hope it doesn't come to that and that we can decide during the 90 minutes.

There's been a lot of talk about his future. At an advanced stage in his career, he has already won so much, played for so many clubs and in so many contexts. What makes the difference at the moment for Otamendi in deciding his future? What weighs in the balance when it comes to deciding where to continue?

Well, I've always been a person who analyzes things very well. About this season, I said at the beginning that when the tournament and the competitions were over, I would decide my future. Tomorrow, we have a very important match for us, and the focus has to be on that, not on my renewal. I always try to live one day at a time, enjoy every moment, because obviously you never know when it might be your last, so there's nothing more to say than that.