"Benfica has left a lasting impression on me"

BTV INTERVIEW

In an interview with BTV, Nico Gaitán previewed the first official match between his two favorite clubs, Boca Juniors and Benfica, saying that the clash on matchday 1 of Group C of the Club World Cup has all the makings of a "great spectacle."

With 253 games, 41 goals, and 11 titles won wearing the eagle on his chest (from 2010/11 to 2015/16), Nico Gaitán is idolized at Benfica, but he is also remembered as one of the best players in the contemporary history of Boca Juniors, the club where he nurtured and rose to prominence.

On the eve of the first official match between the teams of his life, in the first round of Group C of the Club World Cup, Gaitán predicted a “good show” for next Monday, June 16.

"I don't even want to see it [laughs]. It's going to be beautiful! These are two clubs with huge fan bases, and that's going to be great for the spectacle. I hope it's a good game for those who go to watch, but I can't pick a favorite.  I've been a Boca fan since I was a kid, but Benfica has left a lasting impression on me. It would be good if they drew and both went through to the next round. Two very big, world-class clubs will be on the pitch," he said.

Recalling that Boca Juniors will debut a new coach – Miguel Ángel Russo –, Gaitán considered that Benfica will have to be prepared to deal with players who want to prove themselves to the new manager. "It will be a competitive game, where Boca players will want to show something new. Benfica fans can expect a lot of friction, because that is the DNA of Argentine football and the team has that.  Benfica has a very good style of play," he analyzed, highlighting the individual talent of world champion Di María, playing for Benfica, and the goal-scoring instinct of Giménez, Boca Juniors' "very dangerous" striker.

In the presidential box, there will also be a meeting between two remarkable number 10s in world football – Rui Costa and Juan Román Riquelme – and Gaitán shares a curiosity involving the President of Benfica.

"Riquelme was my childhood idol. Playing with him was a dream come true. And Rui Costa also had a style that I really liked. I never told him, but when I was little, around 8 or 9 years old, I received a Portugal jersey with his name on it," he revealed.

Gaitán also left a message for Benfica fans: "Everyone knows the responsibility that comes with wearing the Benfica jersey. To everyone, thank you very much for everything. I am very grateful to all the Portuguese people and, in particular, to Benfica fans, for their affection."