"The best academy in the world contributed significantly to winning the World Cup"

INTERVIEW

The role of SL Benfica's excellent youth academy was highlighted by Joaquim Milheiro, the club's technical director of youth football, who praised the “extraordinary contribution” of the young Benfica players to the national team's victory in the Under-17 World Cup, a historic achievement on Thursday, November 27.

Daniel Banjaqui, José Neto, Ricardo Neto, Mauro Furtado, Rafael Quintas, Miguel Figueiredo, Stevan Manuel, Anísio Cabral, and Tomás Soares were the nine members of the Portuguese national team that celebrated Portugal's first victory in this competition.

In addition to the Portuguese athletes, Benfica's Jaden Umeh (Republic of Ireland) also defended his national team's colors, making Benfica the most represented club in the competition, with 10 players.

From Qatar, where the competition took place, Joaquim Milheiro acknowledged that all these young athletes have contributed to raising the profile of the Club worldwide.

HAPPINESS FOR THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE EAGLES

"[Belief in victory] I believed because I know how skilled and talented these players are, and how well this team is organized. I know the joy and happiness with which they seized this opportunity and all the work they have been doing over the years, writing a beautiful story in the pages of football. And we, as Benfica fans, are extremely proud of the contribution made by Benfica's players. Just yesterday [Thursday], all nine of them played in the final, which I think is very important, and they made an extraordinary contribution to a memorable victory."

ANALYSIS OF THE FINAL

"An emotionally balanced team was identified to play a highly demanding game. We played with maturity and knew how to play at different moments of the game, both offensively and defensively. We were also consistent in set pieces. Above all, we worked as a team, and the progress the team made throughout the World Cup allowed us to gain consistency in our play and outplay our opponents. We achieved a great victory, thanks to the hard work of the players, the team, and the entire organization."

PORTUGAL'S JOURNEY

"This was a marathon, and what we felt was that the team grew, revealing its consistency against opponents with different playing philosophies and different intensities of play. We were very capable of responding to the different problems that arose during the game and played the final with great quality. I want to highlight the skill of the Sport Lisboa e Benfica players. We should all be very proud of their performance. Ultimately, it was the best academy in the world that contributed significantly to winning the World Cup."

“PASSIONATE TALENT” LOOKING TO MAKE HISTORY

"[The significance of Benfica being the club with the most athletes in the World Cup] What this means is that Benfica has talented players who are passionate about football and want to make history. And throughout these players' careers at Sport Lisboa e Benfica, we have an average of 10 years of accumulated experience. What this means is that there is a very strong connection between the players, both from an emotional point of view and in terms of their approach to the game, which has been successfully transferred to the Portuguese Football Federation and has gained international recognition. And what I would like to highlight is that these players have come a long way since CFT, since Benfica's schools, since the Pupilos, passing through Benfica Campus, and there is a whole environment of growth that has become highly favorable to this enormous achievement that makes all of us Benfica fans and Portuguese people proud."

RED DNA IS A DISTINCTIVE FEATURE

"[What sets this generation apart] Sometimes, what can make the difference is the amount of talent. We cannot forget generations such as that of 1997, with Rúben Dias and Renato Sanches, players who continue to perform at a high level and enjoy great international recognition. And other generations such as that of 1999, where Benfica made an excellent contribution, with players such as Florentino and Jota... What I think is that it's in the DNA of Sport Lisboa e Benfica, where there's a whole ecosystem within the Club, highly passionate, that contributes to the development of these players. Benfica has a distinctive brand that helps our players achieve these high performances and international recognition. Basically, at Benfica, there is a lot of growth, but not everything. From our perspective at Benfica, we help players grow in a comprehensive way, from a 360-degree perspective, so that they can then perform at a high level."

EXALTED MYSTIQUE

"I believe that we are dealing with high-quality players who will continue to give their all, who are highly passionate about what they do, who will seize every opportunity, who will keep their feet firmly on the ground, because after this achievement, a lot will change around the players... I believe that they will maintain their emotional balance and will not be distracted, because Benfica's mystique is to win today, tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, and to always continue to add value. It's always about doing a little more to be even better. And our players know that you can only take stock of your career when it's over. And they are at the beginning of a very beautiful career, accumulating extraordinary experiences, fantastic learning, achieving dreams, and they know that there is much more to achieve, because these players have that ambition, they have that responsibility, and they will seek to do even more for our club."

IMPACT FOR THE FUTURE

"It increases their responsibility, given that they have already made a name for themselves in Europe and now in the world. They have also made a name for themselves at Sport Lisboa e Benfica, through their contribution to Benfica's rise, their achievements, and the example they set as players. There is a positive responsibility that I think should serve as strength and inspiration for them to continue to do more and better. They should not be distracted by certain elements that may sometimes exist, such as a certain relaxation in the face of what this enormous achievement may be. Honestly, I believe that the balloon will not deflate, they will always have that ambition to want to achieve more because this is Benfica's DNA."