"I expect an excellent game"

PREVIEW

Ambition and belief in the work done were the key themes in Bruno Lage's preview of Benfica vs Chelsea in the round of 16 of Club World Cup, scheduled for 9:00 pm Portuguese time (4:00 pm local time) this Saturday, June 28, at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.

How is the team doing? What kind of game are you expecting against Chelsea?

The team is extremely ambitious to move forward in the competition. We know it's difficult, but it's not impossible. It's a game, and right now we have a deep understanding of how Chelsea plays. And once again, I feel that we have prepared very well for the game. So tomorrow [Saturday], when it's time for the game, we'll put everything we've got on the field, all our strength and quality, both collectively and individually, because, as I said, I feel the team is motivated and has a huge ambition to move forward in the competition.

We have learned that Otamendi will stay for at least another year. I would like to ask you if you also have confirmation that Tomás Araújo and António Silva, who have been in high demand, will remain for the new season.

I believe so. At the moment, there is nothing to suggest otherwise, but the most important thing today is to talk about Nico [Otamendi]. It is with great pleasure that I talk about Nico here, because I can almost go back nine months and remember my first press conference, and what the questions were about Nico. Today, I am really pleased that everyone's wishes have finally come true—the club's wishes, the captain's wishes, and of course, I am also very happy that Nico has renewed his contract.

Prestianni has been playing, and I got the impression that he has been a little less vertical than we knew him to be, but perhaps more committed to the team's transitions. I don't know if that impression is correct, if that's what's required of him, and I ask him if he is a player who plans to strengthen the squad next season.

Yes, it's in our plans. What I've been saying all along: we have a plan for everyone, I have a plan for everyone, and in particular for young players, which is to help them develop. He knows very well when we worked with him to bring his defensive game closer to his offensive quality. The last game: he started from a position, and from there he was able to connect the game, make vertical movements, and put all his talent at the service of the team. But when we don't have the ball, someone else has to work for the team, and I was really pleased with his 45 minutes. He helped the team play well and win. It's up to him to make the most of every moment and, more importantly, to consolidate his progress, not just sporadically, but every time he's called upon, confirming his ability with performances like the one he gave in the last game.

You said you have a plan for everyone. Do you also have a plan for Renato Sanches? Is he a player you would like to count on next season?

When I talk about a plan, what do I mean? It means looking at the player and understanding, on an individual level, how he can grow. Helping him, whether in technical, tactical, or physical terms... I take this approach, perhaps because it comes from my past, from my training, and I always take care to look at the player and how to help him evolve on an individual level. And that applies across the board, regardless of age. Let me give you an example. When we talk to Di [María], we “provoke” him: “What can you still do better?” And there are certain points that, sometimes, it's the player who tells us where he thinks he can improve. Regardless of age, we have this plan for every player. Speaking specifically about Renato [Sanches], what was important? It was what he did in the last game [against Bayern], what he is doing in the World Cup. He put in an excellent performance, giving us the assurance, in one position, that we have quality on the ball and can build longer moves. Being able to rotate the game from one wing to the other, and that's how the first goal [against Bayern] came about. That's what I want from my midfielders. So, he's in good form, he played well, and we're going to focus on the World Cup. When we make our decisions, we'll announce them. Today [Friday], we announced one [Otamendi's renewal], and soon, we'll certainly announce others.

Does Benfica's good European run, against tough opponents, and now this victory against Bayern Munich, give the team extra confidence?

We are always very grateful, and in my position as coach, whenever I play in international competitions, I am truly grateful to be able to represent Portuguese football. As I said from day one, we are approaching this competition as if it were a World Cup, even in our management of the players... How many times have we seen this, in World Cups and European Championships, of understanding the player's moment. We have so many stories, from World Cups and European Championships, of players who did not have great seasons, but then when these moments came, in shorter competitions, they performed brilliantly. We are experiencing it in that sense, and we have had the ability to identify the player who arrives in the best condition to contribute to the team's performance. The interview and statements made by Aktür [Aktürkoğlu] yesterday [Thursday] essentially represent that, the way we are experiencing this moment. Specifically regarding your question: of course. Our ambition is always to do more. We had a good performance in the Champions League, we have a run [in the Club World Cup] in which the initial goals were clearly achieved, we came in first place, and we continue with a huge ambition to continue in the competition.

You mentioned a competitive team. Today [Friday], during training ahead of the game against Chelsea, one of the most memorable moments was your conversation with the President of Benfica. Did you take the opportunity during that conversation to ask for reinforcements to make the team more competitive, to attack the Super Cup and those preliminary rounds [of the Champions League]?

The conversation was really along those lines. We had just signed the new player, and I was informed that Nico, yesterday [Thursday], late in the evening, had finally reached an agreement with Benfica, that is, he had finalized the whole situation, and that today [Friday] it would be announced. So, that's what we're all working towards, with the aim of making the team stronger and more competitive.

Do you think this World Cup can serve as a kind of affirmation that this team is on the right track and that Bruno Lage is the right man to lead it? In other words, using an English expression, a kind of statement that the team is making, after such a difficult season, which ended in such a dramatic fashion. Has this World Cup served that purpose: to affirm the team and affirm Bruno Lage in his position?

Every moment, especially for Benfica, given its history, is a moment for us to honor the team. My position... I know my worth, and it's not by winning more or fewer games that I'll be a better coach. I know the path I want to take, I know how hard I work. I look at the team, and my goal as a coach is to help the team evolve. Of course, from the outside, everything that is a positive result is different, but the most important thing is that we are aware of our value, and I'm talking about myself. Of course, for the Club, Benfica is not great because of moral victories, it is great because of the great achievements it has made, whether in Portugal, Europe, or the world. And as I said, we are making the most of this moment to further enhance and honor the Club's name.

How did Flamengo's victory against Chelsea [3-1] show you ways to also beat Chelsea?

We analyzed many Chelsea games—including those in the Conference League—and, of course, we also analyzed the game against Flamengo. The game against Flamengo is also important to understand how the team performs—and we have been analyzing these World Cup games—in the weather conditions in question, because that really changes the intensity of the game slightly. So the game was viewed from that perspective.

Looking at Chelsea's midfield: how do you rate Enzo [Fernández]'s development since leaving Benfica? €100 million for him, €100 million for Moisés Caicedo, and if we say that Cole Palmer is also worth €100 million... Is this midfield you're going to face one of the best in the world?

In cash, maybe [laughs]. 100, 100, 100 - it's easy [smiles]. I didn't work with Enzo. When he went to Benfica, I was at Wolverhampton, and at the time there was even a rumor that he might go to Wolves. He went to Benfica, had six fantastic months and then went to Chelsea. Chelsea are a strong team, they have a top coach, they had a very good season, but for me the special meeting isn't with the midfielders, it's with Pedro Neto, one of the best winger in the world. That left foot, you never know where it's going to go, in or out. He can score goals, he can make assists. Chelsea are a very good team, but they also know that we're a good team. I expect an excellent game.

Do you feel like favorites or outsiders for this game? I also want to ask if you can confirm your interest in João Félix.

We've been talking about João Félix since he left Benfica. He's a special player for Benfica, he's a special player for me, but now he's enjoying his vacation. Maybe he's asleep at the moment, because he's on the other side of the world. So the most important thing for me is my team and the players who are going to play against Chelsea. [Favorites or outsiders?] I understand your point, but when I look at my players, they give me reason to believe that it's 50/50. So we're going into the game with that ambition.