"Our ambition is to move forward"

PREVIEW

In the preview of Tuesday's match against Bayern Munich, on June 24, in the third and final round of Group C of the Club World Cup, Bruno Lage spoke of Benfica's "high expectations" of playing a "great game" that will allow them to advance to the round of 16 of the tournament.

What are your expectations for this match against Bayern, in which, once again, you will have an extra opponent: the heat? Forecasts indicate temperatures of around 36 degrees at kickoff time...

That's true. Expectations are high. We want to play a great game that will allow us to move forward in the competition. We know it's an important game for us, but we also know that Benfica's interests don't end tomorrow [Tuesday]. And, as such, the best eleven at the moment will take the field to win the game. Because what we can't have right now is a prolonged injury, as we already have two with Manu and Bah. However, that doesn't take away from our belief that we can play a great game and move forward. We're going to play against a team that is very good, very strong, and has a very interesting dynamic, especially in the corridors, with crosses of all kinds, both inside and outside, to always put the ball at the far post. We've been working hard on that.Now, there are things I can't give the team, one of which is height, and another is innate, natural aggression. And we all have to be aware that we need to be much more aggressive. I've been more aggressive with the players because we need to be much more aggressive, and tomorrow is the first test for that kind of situation. I spoke to you and told you that I didn't want to talk about the past or the future, just about the World Cup, but next season we have to be much more aggressive, both on and off the field. There are things that need to be improved, there are things that need to be radically changed. Our aggressiveness has to be a given, and we have been working hard on that with the players. They have to show that aggressiveness, which some of them lack, in the way they train, because we can't have a player winning the ball near his area and then taking it all the way to our area. We need that aggressiveness. And for that aggressiveness to emerge, if we have to kick each other around a bit in training, or get angry with each other, so be it, so that we can then be aggressive. Because whoever steps on us won't be laughing or singing.

Bayern is one of Benfica's biggest rivals, and they have already played them this season in the Champions League. Will it be easy to resist the temptation to play for a draw, knowing that they have already qualified and that a draw puts Benfica through to the next round?

We cannot start from that point, knowing that there is also a game taking place at the same time and that the opponent can score a lot of goals. So what we want is to play our game. Look at what we did well against Bayern Munich—we've talked about that game many times—and also realize that, in offensive terms, we can and must do much more and better. We already know Bayern Munich, we also took care to analyze what the team did with Boca Juniors, and we feel that there is an opportunity for us to play a good game. It is in this sense that we will focus on what we can control to win the necessary points and move forward in the competition.

You mentioned aggression, both on and off the pitch. In the last game, we saw a little bit of what you're asking for, with Kökcü getting heated. Will he start this game, after everything that happened? Is it this aggression you're talking about that the players need? Or has he already strayed a little from the aggression you're asking for?

The most important thing to say about this matter is that both the player and I are aware that it was not a good moment, and I, as the leader, have to be the first to acknowledge that. He has Turkish blood, as I have said many times, but my blood is from Setúbal and also boils very quickly, even though I often don't show it. But the most important thing is that we talked, eye to eye, face to face, and tried to understand how two people who had always gotten along very well for a year had that moment. More importantly, he understands, and I understand, that he is a grateful person, because we jokingly put a smile on our faces, and he is a very grateful person for that, and we know it. Just as he knows what kind of player he is and how important he is to me, both now and in the future, I believe he can be a very important player at this great club, Sport Lisboa e Benfica. That's what matters most. We have talked a lot as a family, as you know. The matter was resolved within the family, and what I feel and hope is that we will all be smart enough so that, once again, in a less positive moment, as we have had before, we can be even more cohesive, united, and determined to do our job. That is what matters most, and we are in agreement on that.

I said earlier that anyone who steps on Benfica won't be laughing or singing. I ask you: do you suspect anyone? Who wants to step on Benfica and won't be laughing or singing?

No, we have to be more aggressive. We have to be more aggressive, both on and off the field. We have to show more of that aggression. And we will show it.

I ask him how Florentino is doing. Will he play or not? And, while I'm at it, I also ask him how he feels about the big absence in tomorrow's game [Tuesday], which is [Álvaro] Carreras.

You usually ask good questions, and now you've asked me two difficult ones. Other players are also missing, but we still don't know about Tino [Florentino]. It's a nasty injury that has been bothering him lately, but he has been recovering well, and we'll take a look at it tomorrow. It's as I said in the first question: in addition to the importance of the game and advancing to the round of 16, and Sport Lisboa e Benfica's keen interest in moving forward in the competition, there are other important considerations, which are, as you know, starting the next season in the best possible way, and the health of our athletes must be taken into account. It's a slight discomfort that's bothering him, and we have to assess it as best we can. With each passing day, he feels better, but we can only draw conclusions tomorrow. Regarding Álvaro, his absence will help me answer your question. Because Álvaro also benefited from our arrival, from the absence of some players, he had the opportunity to play, he showed himself, he evolved as he did, and he had a very good season. We brought in many players, and we trust that they will all be able to take steps forward and put on a good performance, because everyone has been training in the same way, and everyone is fully identified with our style of play.

You are probably one of the European coaches at the World Cup who knows Brazilian football best. Were you surprised by the results of the Brazilian teams? Did you expect Flamengo, a possible opponent in the round of 16, to beat Chelsea and qualify in first place in their group?

I know a little bit about it. The Brazilian Championship is very competitive, and right now, I feel that they have an advantage over European teams, which is the fact that they are in the middle of the season. I think that's an advantage. We, Benfica, are at the end of a season, one season has ended, and we are about to start another. We are in what should be a period of vacation and recovery for the players. But I'm not surprised by the quality of the Brazilian teams, I'm not surprised by the quality of the Brazilian players, and so I'm not surprised by the campaign they've been running.

Aursnes recently gave the recipe for the game against Bayern, which involves maintaining the consistency of the Champions League game, but also the team being more capable offensively than it was in that game. Can he promise a more capable Benfica in that regard, even though two results would suit Benfica?

Clearly, we have to be able to do in attack what we did well in defense. Of course, the strategy will be different, the players on the field will be different, but that has to be our ambition. We can't wait to see what happens in the other game; we have to go out and achieve our goals. It is not a matter of making promises, it is a matter of conviction and of getting the message across to our players: we have to try to do it. I don't want to dwell on the game against Bayern [in the Champions League], but we didn't go into the game with half the work done, i.e., we're going to defend and we're not going to attack. The team has to understand, against any team, when and where we have space to take advantage of. In the last game... I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate and salute the national coach, because he made a very good analysis of our game, he understood very well what we wanted to do, that is, a different attacking space, a different way of attacking, with different positioning of our players, and a different way of defending. Tomorrow [Tuesday] is another opponent, another strategy, and what we want is to be competent, both when we have the ball and when we don't.

You've been talking about ambition, and I ask you, speaking of ambition, if you expect to be playing in the round of 16 in this competition next weekend, and now with Dedic, if you think he can be useful in this Club World Cup.

Yes, our ambition is to move forward, and I would like to continue, because we are here with enthusiasm. Speaking for myself, I think it's a very good opportunity in my career, and I would like to move forward. Regarding the market, as you know, I am completely focused on the Club World Cup, and I know that there are competent people—our president, our director... – taking care of what we need, and you already know, at least for the right back and right wing, that we need those two positions.

The owner of Lyon has confirmed talks with Benfica regarding Thiago Almada, the Argentine midfielder. Is he a player you would like to have next season?

Not right wing? [No, he's not] So, for now, those are the two priorities: right-back and right winger. That's how we're going to build what I feel could be Benfica's team of the future. Players who bring us skill and aggressiveness, so we can be stronger and more aggressive.