"I'm extremely proud to be here"

STATEMENTS

Tiago Gouveia, a player from Benfica's professional football team, spoke of the enthusiasm and ambition with which the Eagles are approaching their participation in the 2025 Club World Cup, emphasizing, before the training session in Tampa, Florida, the "maximum responsibility" that the athletes will have in approaching the competition in the United States of America.

The Benfica forward said he was “proud” to represent the Glorioso in the prestigious competition and emphasized his “enormous desire” to “be happy,” refusing to accept that the time difference (five hours behind Lisbon) and temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius would be significant obstacles.

What does it mean to be part of the Club World Cup? How important is this tournament for Benfica?

Before I begin, I would like to congratulate the national team on yesterday's title [Sunday, June 8] and also wish the Under-21 team good luck in the European Championship. As you know, I have been out of action for a long time, and I am extremely proud to be here. It's a great pleasure to be here, I'm really eager to give my best and be happy. That's something I've been missing in recent months because, as I mentioned, I've been out of action for a long time, and what I want now is to compete and be happy.

How will you deal with the time difference and the heat? Will these be additional problems for the players?

No, it won't be a problem at all. We arrived early this morning [Monday, June 9], so we'll have plenty of time to prepare for the game. I'm sure everything will be fine. I don't think it will be a problem.

Your love for Benfica is well known, having spent many years in Benfica's youth academy. What I'm asking you is whether the end of the season is still an open wound, or whether you've managed to erase that from your memory and are ready for a new competition, with a clean slate, so to speak.

It was tough, clearly it was tough for us to be in the running and not win the titles. But that's in the past, we're now focused on the World Cup coming up. I'm not going to say it will save the season, of course not, but it's a new competition. A competition where we will give our best.

How far can they go? What do they have in mind? Is it to win the Club World Cup?

The goal is to beat Boca Juniors, which is the first game, and then we'll see.

Regarding the match against Boca Juniors: this is the first time that these two teams, two giants of world football, will face each other. How do you feel about that, and how does it feel to be part of such a historic match?

Yes, everyone knows that historically Boca Juniors is a very big club, but we are too, and we are ready for the match on the 16th. We are happy to be part of this competition and to be able to play these kinds of games. It will be a great pleasure for all of us to enjoy it here.

He congratulated the national team. One of the players who was there is João Félix. Would you like him to join Benfica?

Obviously, I can't answer that... Of course he's a fantastic player, there's no denying it, he's a fantastic player. A player who has brought us a lot of joy. But, of course, that's not something you need to ask me about... But clearly he's a fantastic player. My wish? My wish is to count on the players who are here, and if someone comes along to add quality, they will always be welcome.

For the players, is this a preseason or is it the end of the season?

It's neither one nor the other. It's a competition that we will approach with the utmost responsibility and respect, and we will give our best and try to be as happy as possible.

Is this match against Boca Juniors decisive? Especially given that Bayern Munich is also in the group, a team that Benfica has never managed to beat... Does that make this match even more decisive?

When it comes to competitions like this, such as the Champions League in its new format... When there are four teams in the group, every game is decisive. No game is more decisive than another. Every point, every goal conceded and scored counts. So I wouldn't say it's a more decisive game, it's a decisive game, just like all the others.

Will it be the most complicated? Especially since the Argentines are in the middle of their season, and the Europeans are at the end of theirs...

They are all complicated, and we will face them all with the utmost responsibility and respect for our opponents.