"Full concentration on the match"

PREVIEW

"Maximum concentration on the match" is what Bruno Lage wants for the clash between Benfica and AVS, on matchday 31 of the Liga Betclic, scheduled for 6:00 pm this Sunday, April 27, at the Estádio da Luz, as he made a point of emphasizing at the press conference held at Benfica Campus.

What opponents are they expecting to face, and how will they approach the game, given that there are only four rounds to go?

First, it's maximum concentration on the game, we're entering very important moments in the season, and it's very important for us to be focused on what we control and that's the game. A home game with the support of our fans, and it's also important to realize that not every game, no matter how much we want to score after 40 seconds, it's not always possible. Just like being 3-0 up after 15 minutes isn't always possible. Now I believe that with the support of our fans, which has been constant, the team will be confident, the team won't be anxious, and the team will play the football it needs to play. That's what I believe will happen tomorrow [Sunday, April 27]. As for the game, I see a team that was fundamentally hurt by the way they conceded the equalizer against Casa Pia. It's a team that needs points to stay up and, as such, I believe they'll come with the ambition to win points. The question about tomorrow's game, but we're prepared for any scenario, is whether they can play with a line of 4 or a line of 5. In recent games they've played with a line of 5, but we've also had the opportunity to see other games, especially with the big teams, and they've played with a line of 4. That's the only question for tomorrow, but the team has prepared well for both situations and is motivated, focused and committed to continuing the good games and winning the three points that are crucial at this stage of the season.

You mentioned the fact that you're playing a team that's fighting to stay up. I'd like to ask you, bearing in mind the recent game in Luz, the draw against Arouca, if that result puts this team on alert, given the difficulty of playing against teams that may come to play more closely. And then, if I may, after the last game, there was a lot of talk about the management of yellow cards. Benfica now have another player, Álvaro Carreras, who could be punished if he sees yellow. Does that worry you, given that he's one of the most used players and also one of the most influential, and how will he be managed?

As for [Álvaro] Carreras, he's been called up and will start tomorrow, and there's no management involved. On the other matter, we have to realize that we're counting down to the end of the league season, every game is important, any distraction can penalize us and cost us dearly, and we have to be in maximum concentration for tomorrow's match. 

There's more and more talk about departures and arrivals. I'd ask you a favor: have you defined a profile for potential reinforcements? I'd also like to ask you, whether you've received the vote of confidence from Benfica's President. If you're not a champion at Benfica, will you stay at the club.

No, vote of confidence? No, we're not talking about votes of confidence. What is clear to me, I've already answered you more than once on this subject, I know I have a contract for next season, but it's clear to me and I came with this objective. I want to win titles, and at the moment I've only won the League Cup. Regarding the first question, the turn you took so that I could talk about the market, and I'll be happy to, it's even a question that I like, and I have some notes on this behind me and I'll be happy to clarify it. The player's profile is important, but is it so important, or what is most important about the player's profile? When we draw up a player's profile, we can talk about the player, what his characteristics are, physical, technical, tactical and even psychological, and then try to understand the player's mentality, competitive attitude, try to understand, for example, we've already talked about this season, the adaptation of players to big clubs, the fact of playing for a club that has to win consecutively, in short, there are a whole range of points to talk about, but, look, I can even give you an example which is this: There's been a lot of talk about comparing Álvaro Carreras with Grimaldo. They are two players with different profiles, and both of them have enormous quality to play for Benfica. From my experience in other teams, I can also talk about what it's like to have a player with the profile of Tino [Florentino] or a player with the profile of Rúben Neves, so I think there's something more important than the player's profile, which is the coach's idea of the game, looking at the squad and the players he has at his disposal, and then also understanding what dynamics they bring to the team, how they relate within the team, and for me that's much more important than that. 

I'm going to ask you a question about tomorrow's game, which has to do with Florentino's absence, and whether you've made a decision on who will play there. You've said a few times that you don't think Leandro Barreiro's best qualities can be used in that position, how are you going to solve that problem? And also a question about the market. Benfica have already managed to add value to some of your players, but it's also well known that you always have to sell a big player to make a profit. Which player, if you could choose, would you not want to lose in the next transfer market?

You're projecting those decisions onto next season, or the end of the season. What I have to focus on is my team, protecting my players, motivating them to keep improving every day, and tomorrow the most important thing is for us as a team to respond. Your question is very interesting, I even remember what happened in the last Tirsense game. Barreiro's ability to get into the box, he has a great header and has two very good balls in which he scores a goal. So he's a soldier I love. Whether he's starting or coming off the bench, he always has records... Look, once again, a good characteristic that we also have to pay attention to nowadays, in terms of a player's profile, is how he behaves when he comes off the bench, and Barreiro has done a tireless job in this regard, he puts the team's objectives first, and tomorrow what we have to figure out is the best eleven to win the game.

I'd ask him if he still believes he'll have Renato Sanches competing until the end of the season, and I'd ask him another question too: Prestianni has stood out in recent games with some very interesting details. What does Prestianni need in order to get more minutes in the first team?

Regarding Renato [Sanches], he's developing in a positive way, and it all depends on how he develops. About Prestianni and about all the players in the squad, but since you've touched on it, what's important is... I understand that you have an opinion about the player, but don't take it personally if I value the opinion of someone who has passed through this house, either as a player or as a coach and is still a coach, and I even believe it's a balanced and fair opinion, because it's even from a person who gives me a hard time now and then. I'm talking about Álvaro Magalhães and what he said about Prestianni. I'm going to use my notepad here to recall what he said, which is... “Prestianni has above average technique, but he lacks other things, the other players in the same position also have their quality and other characteristics, and he doesn't play in the A team, it's good that he's gaining pace in the B team.” That's what I believe, I believe that Prestianni is a young man with enormous potential, he must continue to develop, and I believe he can bring a lot of joy to the fans. If someone puts another kind of thing into the player's head, they're not helping him at the moment, so what's important is that he continues on his path, continues to develop, and if he doesn't, I'll be here to respond, because my concern is always to make the players develop.