"Benfica defends Benfica's interests"

STATEMENTS

On Saturday, November 29, Benfica will face Nacional in a match for round 12 of Liga Betclic. Before leaving for Madeira, the President of Sport Lisboa e Benfica spoke to the media present.

Faced with various issues, namely the recent interview given by João Félix and the latest statements by the FC Porto coach regarding the schedule, Rui Costa responded to everything and also addressed the transfer market and this Saturday's match.

JOÃO FÉLIX

"I am very sorry that João said something like that [João Félix stated that ‘I always wanted to return, but Benfica never showed any serious interest’], I am very sorry, even for him. Because if it depended on Benfica's desire, and what Benfica always put on the table to bring him to Lisbon, João would have been at Benfica for three years now. Not this summer, but three years ago. I don't want to dwell on this too much, because I will always respect João. He is one of our own, a kid who was trained by us. I have the utmost respect and affection for him, and I hope that one day he will still be able to wear the Benfica jersey. I am very sorry, really very sorry for him, that he made these statements. He will have to say what it means to him for a team or a club to do everything, or not everything, to bring the player home. In these three years, Chelsea, Barcelona, Milan, and now Saudi Arabia probably wanted him more than Benfica... probably, yes. We all talked to him, of course! Obviously, presidents don't have to talk to players or acquisitions every day. Obviously, Benfica's structure, both with João and his agent, did everything to bring João to Benfica, and did much more than it does to bring any other player to Benfica. That's all I have to say, and I'll say it again: I have a lot of respect for João, I've even defended his decision to go to Saudi Arabia, but I feel very sorry for him that he said something like that. I feel very sorry. The door is always open for good players to return to Benfica. He is not disrespecting the club, he was trained by us, and I repeat: I feel very sorry for João that he said what he said."

WEATHER CONDITIONS IN CHOUPANA

"It's true that Benfica hasn't had much luck in games against Nacional in Madeira in terms of fog. We'll wait for tomorrow [Saturday] and hope that the game goes ahead. The schedules are very tight, so let's hope the game goes ahead."

Listen to Rui Costa

SCHEDULING

"Obviously, I'm not going to respond to a statement like that [Francesco Farioli's comments about FC Porto's complaints about the schedule]. I'll just say that Benfica defends what are Benfica's interests in its schedule. It's not against anyone, nor is it playing against anyone, but it is defending what Benfica's schedules are. And Benfica has had a very tight schedule this year, with no breaks and playing every three days since the season began with the Super Cup. So if anyone has a very tight schedule, it's us, no one else."

JOSÉ MOURINHO'S SPEECH

"He is an extremely experienced coach, he knows how to talk to the team, he knows how to talk to the players, he knows how to motivate the players. And so, I always believe strongly in what José Mourinho communicates to the players. There is communication that is done externally, there is communication that is done internally, but the squad is fine, the team is fine, and they receive José Mourinho's messages well, there is no doubt about that. So, it's more than understandable. [Would you also have changed nine players at halftime in the game against Atlético?] I wouldn't have changed them because I'm the president, not the coach. But I believe, as I just said, that, without a doubt, no player in that game was satisfied with what was happening in the first half, which is only natural. Therefore, communication with the team is also based on the coach's experience and what he knows about his team."

MARKET

"Who mentioned Dybala? You'll have to ask the journalist who reported that, because it's not true. Right now, what I want is for the players to be ready to play tomorrow [Saturday], and that's what we're going to do."

UNDER-17 WORLD CHAMPIONS ARE A SOURCE OF PRIDE

"First, I would like to congratulate the national team on this wonderful title. Obviously, as President of Benfica and a Benfica fan, I am more than proud that this team includes nine players from our club, nine home-grown talents who are now being talked about for their achievements. But we do have a lot of talent there, and we want to make the most of it, that's for sure. Let's give it time. We're talking about a very young national team, very young players with a lot of talent, and we don't want to spoil that. I am absolutely certain that many of these talented players will become members of Sport Lisboa e Benfica's first team. I am sure of that."

ARRIVAL IN FUNCHAL

CHRISTMAS GIFTS ARE VICTORIES

"[Benfica's interest in Rafa?] Rafa is a Besiktas player, not a Benfica player, so there's no point in talking about that. [Can we expect a Christmas present?] The Christmas present has to come from the players who are here and who, like all of us, have to do their part to win the games we have until then. [Confident of victory?] Very much so."