This tuesday's "A Bola" published the list of all Benfica players currently on loan.
For the young ones, the hope of having a good year and returning to the "nest". For the older ones, a hope that their loan stint will open other doors, as they will most likely not return which are the cases of Jorge Ribeiro and Yebda. For players such as Freddy Adu, Shaffer, and Eder Luiz, the future looks bleak, as their experiences with the main team were not the best, and now look to resurrect themselves even if it's just to get a new lease on their career.
We all know what Adu's situation is, and i find it very hard that Benfica will ever bring him back. Aris was reluctant to keep him this coming season, but with his loan contract valid for two years, Aris will have to honor their agreement with Benfica. He was not part of Hector Cupers plans, but with hard work he might even get some minutes. This is the lowest Adu has ever been, even in the MLS, he never took on a role of 3rd stringer, he definetely has his work cut out for him.
SHaffer came in as a solution for the left back position, but lost his space, and Benfica opted to send him back to Argentina, as he had a market there. Barring a breakout year, i very much Shaffer will return to Portugal.
Eder Luiz came in as a substitute for Saviola, and got some minutes, even scoring important goals, but JJ has claimed the player was not ready mentally and he returned to Brazil. Out of all the three he stands the biggest chance to come back.
Urreta, Miguel Vitor, Fellipe Bastos, Patric, Rodrigo and Oblak, are all players that have the biggest chance to return.
Urreta is on loan with a "no-buy" clause, and in my opinion, one of the players that has room in this squad. As a matter of fact i have often said his loan to Depor was perhaps Benfica's biggest mistake of the off season.
Rodrigo has already been labelled has a player for the future, but the truth is that if he has a good year at Bolton, Real can buy him back for double what they paid Benfica, or 10m. Yes Benfica would make an easy 5m, but if Rodrigo is as talented as some of the critics say he is, we may never take advantage of his talent. Let's hope he doesn't blow up at Bolton.
Fellipe Bastos and Patric are both young Brazilians playing in Brazil, and with youth national team experience. While Bastos was once tooted by Camacho as a player not to be left out of sight, JJ had a different opinion, and instead of bringing him back for this season, opted to go hit the market in January and recruit Airton instead. At 20 years old he is still at an age to break out, and that is what Benfica is waiting for.
As far as Patric goes, JJ thought he was too green, and just like Bastos, Benfica hopes he can take it to the next level, even though his window is closing faster at 21 years old.
Miguel Vitor, also 21 yers old, is hoping that his experience at Leicester can solidify him as a good center back. With David Luiz more than likely leaving next year, Vitor knows this year needs to be an important year for him from a gaining experience stand point.
Oblak is 17 years old, and much like Rodrigo, he too is the future. Having done the whole pre-season with Benfica, but not getting any minutes, he now has a chance to gain experience at Beira Mar, but at 17, and with 2 keepers ahead of him, i doubt he will see much playing time, not to mention he will be the fourth goalie, once Beira-Mar's third goalie comes back from injury. It'll be an interesting situation.
The rest of the players are all products of Benfica's youth system, and while some of them have had a taste of the first team, whether in training or in off-season trips, i'd say at least half of them will end up running out their contract without ever wearing a Benfica jersey, which is a shame.
With the Caixa Campus in full swing , I'd like to start seeing more and more players make the senior team. What's the whole purpose of having a youth program, if only a very little percentage of players will ever make it to the senior team, losing their spots to foreign based players instead?>It makes absolutely no sense to spend money in formation, and then spending millions on youngsters from other countries. Why don't we have a "B" team playing in a secondary division? After all, Benfica is most likely paying the wages of players on loan.
Not too long ago, i read an article by Cruyff in which he praises the fact that Guardiola only has 19 players on his roster, and that both mentally and from a personnel management standpoint it as a genius move. The only reason he is able to do that is because any injury can be easily solved with a player from the B team, to make numbers.
26 players out on loan, JJ is currently working with 26 players + 3 others that have not been registered to play(Mantorras, Balboa and Zoro).A lot of money and a lot of wages to be paid, to a large number of players. Something that needs to be looked at by Benfica. There's no sense in comparing ourselves to other clubs, and their own loan numbers, there needs to be a better way to take advantage of our formation, reducing costs and ultimately being able to offer a prospective player the type of wages, that would convince him to play for Benfica.
Monday, September 6, 2010
A Whole Team in Waiting
Monday, August 31, 2009
Freddy Adu on loan to Beleneses.
As twitted earlier, Freddy Adu is on the way to Belenenses on a 1 year loan deal.
For those of you that don't know Belenenses all that well, Belenenses is the less known Lisbon team.
They are currently 7th with a win, a tie and a loss. Last year they finished in the relegation zone, but because of Estrela da Amadora's financial problems, which caused them to be relegated to Portugal's third flight, Belenenses remained in the Liga Sagres.
With Benfica not being able to find a team that would pick up Freddy's high wages, the team opted to leave Freddy close to home to follow his development, rather thean sending him somewhere else, for another period of adaptation. Staying at Belenenses, will not only give a chance for Freddy to adapt to the Portuguese league, but it'll also provide him with a chnace to play more, how much he plays it's really up to him, as he can definitely be an important player for this team.
Belenenses is a fairly young team with an age average of 22. There are a lot of young players with considerable talent but they lack maturity to fight a place in Europe, but with the right coach, it's very possible that they have a good campaign and do better that the 15th place of last year. Benfica's budding young midfielder, Fellipe Bastos is also on loan at Belenenses, and looks to become a fixture in the team from Belem.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Makukula Headed to the Reebok
Both Benfica and Bolton have confirmed the loan deal involving Makukula until the end of the 08/09 season. At the end of the season, Bolton will have the option of acquiring Makukula for 5 million euros.
Big Mak leaves Benfica 1 year after being the biggest signing of last January's transfer window. He came to Benfica by the hand of Camacho, but was never able to break into the starting line up on a consistent basis. During that time, Makukula also lost his spot on the national team, as he was never an option for both Scolari and Queiroz now. With his move to England, Makukula should find a more suitable type of game to his style - more physical and more direct, with long services, should suit Makukula.
Best of luck.
-END-
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Sidnei on the Way to Benfica
Sidnei is the next Benfica signing, according to "A Bola". A 19 year old center back ailing from Porto Alegre's Internacional. Sidnei is set to sign a 5 year contract contract valid until June 2013, the Portuguese Daily also reports.
I don't know much about Sidnei, but from what I have read, Sidnei is a young budding talent who was on the radar for many European giants.
What pleases me most about this acquisition, if it's confirmed, is the fact that up until now there wasn't much talk about Sidnei, and that is the way acquisitions should be done, despite sometimes no being that easy.
With Sidnei's arrival we can be certain that Zoro is on his way out, and barring a Katsouranis exit, Edcarlos might also be at risk.
As i posted yesterday, the squad was reduced by six players today, Andre Carvalhas(Rio Ave), Miguel Rosa(Estoril), Ruben Lima(D Aves), Romeu Ribeiro(D Aves)were all on their way to their new destinies, as well as the juniors Abel Pereira and Joao Pereira who will be with the Junior team.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Adu to AS Monaco
Benfica has just confirmed on their website that Freddy Adu will be going on loan to AS Monaco. At the end of his loan period, Monaco will have the option to buy Freddy, for an undisclosed amount.
If you read this blog on a reg, you know how much i am against this move. I strongly believe Freddy has a spot in Quique's squad, and it's a shame that Benfica does not think so.
I much rather have liked seeing Adu playing for a middle of the table team in the Liga Sagres, to get experience, but we can't forget that this is Nike's American Soccer poster boy. What exposure would he have playing for a middle of the table team? Monaco finished 12th last year, but is a club with a decent European reputation.
In my opinion, the French Ligue 1 is a little below the Portuguese Liga Sagres, but the exposure for Freddy will be there in the form of playing time, despite Monaco not competing in any European competitions this year.
The other thing i have written about, was the fact that Monaco would be able to handle Freddy's wages, something that a team in the Liga Sagres would not, hence lifting that obligation from Benfica, who at this point is still looking to acquire 2 more players. From what i understand Freddy was making around 500Gs a year, that payroll room will come in handy.
I have to say it's a sad day for me to see Freddy go this way, his brief stint at Benfica, and his sudden disappearance from the call up sheet, continues to be a big mystery to many, myself included. As a Portuguese living in the US, having Freddy at Benfica brought on a sense of pride, and i was pulling very hard for Freddy to be successful, just like many other Benfiquistas living in the US.
From this point on there's no turning back, I don't know exactly what the value of the buy out will be, but if a club puts a player out there with those conditions, the message that the club sends is very clear - We don't need you, go out there and whore yourself out, so that you can make us some money.
It's as clear as day, and regardless on whether Monaco will exercise their buyout option come next June, how many players have returned from such a period and the club took them back with open arms?
Diego Souza is the most recent example, he was one of the best players of the Brasileirao, Gremio could not come up with the money at the end of the option period, yet, Benfica kept him on the hook, until they got the money they wanted.
To conclude, I wish nothing but the best to Freddy, and hope he can continue to mature and grow as a player, so that he can achieve his potential and meets a lot of what's expected from him.
I have very little hope that we can see Freddy in a Benfica jersey again.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
"I dont want to be at Benfica" ( Diego Souza)
According to "a Bola" Diego Souza told a Brazilian radio station that his main objective is not to stay at Benfica. Benfica has refused Gremio's 3mm offer(apparently it was 3mm + Jhonatan not 3.5mm) and will not entertain any offers below 4mm. The player claims that there are other Brazilian clubs interested and would give any of those clubs preference over Benfica.
There are a lot of Benfica fans that would love to see Diego Souza back in a Benfica jersey, that seems highly unlikely now. I always thought that if Benfica wanted the player back they would have made a formal anouncement in the past couple of days, right after the December 31st deadline.
Souza had a very short stay at Benfica, getting very little playing time and falling victim to, what some may say, as an internal conflict between directors of the club. Diego was loaned out to Flamengo in 06 and then to Gremio, where he "blew up", becoming one of the best players of the Brazilian league. His performances have earned him a call up to Brazil's Olympic team who will be in China this Summer.
Ever since the player was sent out on loan, the player showed no interest in returning to Benfica. He felt that he was treated unfairly by the club and was always very public in his claims of not wanting to return to Portugal. A couple of days ago i read that he was actually interested in returning. It was the first time i heard interest in returning from Diego Souza.
There is no doubt that Diego Souza is talented, he is only 22 years old and has matured a great deal. There is no doubt in my mind, Diego could be a great addition to Benfica's squad, but after reading the article in "a bola", i have become disenchanted with Souza. Benfica should only want players who would be honored to wear the Benfica jersey.
So, if Benfica didn't have much interest in bringing back Diego Souza, which seems obvious, after this interview it is clear on where both parties stand.
Could Diego's statements been avoided? - Absolutely. If Benfica had shown the player that they were interested in bringing him back, or even some type of assurance that this time around it would be different, the player would have certainly bit his tongue and could be packing for Lisbon right now.
It seems to me that Benfica is counting on the money from the sale of Diego to go shopping themselves. Right now there is no other player that is not part of the current squad that is worth more than 4mm. That is the only conclusion i can make.
Benfica has been more than notorious for having players under contract and letting them go, with those players later becoming great players, Deco being the most obvious one.
There is no doubt in my mind that this situation is a similar situation, Diego is only 22 and his progression margin still has quite a ways to go. Benfica is selling the player for 4mm, but i bet that he will be worth double after the summer olympics.
Seems like another LFV mistake in the making.
From "A Bola"
Link to article
«Não quero ficar no Benfica» (Diego Souza)
Terminado o período de preferência para o Grémio na contratação de Diego Souza, o jogador lembra que há outros clubes brasileiros interessados e que «o principal é não ficar no Benfica».
O Grémio, clube onde Diego Souza alinhou na última temporada, tinha direito de preferência pelo jogador brasileiro até 31 de Dezembro passado, mas passou o prazo sem que conseguisse apresentar uma proposta convincente para os «encarnados».O clube de Porto Alegre fez uma proposta de três milhões de euros, mas o Benfica não negocia abaixo dos quatro milhões.«Agora, fico a aguardar para ver o que vai acontecer. Por enquanto, não está nada definido», explicou o jogador, em entrevista à Rádio Bandeirantes.O director de futebol do Grémio, Paulo Pelaipe, alertou que o Palmeiras entrou forte na luta pelo jogador e tornou-se o grande concorrente na aquisição de Diego Souza. A oferta da formação de São Paulo chegaria aos 3,3 milhões de euros.«Grémio, Palmeiras e São Paulo são grandes equipas. Jogaria em qualquer um deles sem problemas», despistou Diego Souza. «O principal é que não quero mesmo ficar no Benfica», emendou.
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Time's running out on Gremio
Reports out of Brazil are that Gremio is willing to offer 3.5mm and their young promise Jhonatan to Benfica for Diego Souza's pass. As you may recall Gremio has been struggling to come up with the 4mm Benfica is asking for, even going as far as taking on a investment partner who is "shelling" out 3mm of the 3.5mm offer. Benfica has not budged with their figure and Gremio has tried everything possible. The head of Benfica's prospection, Rui Aguas, observed Gremio's Junior team not too long ago and Jhonatan and Wagner were the players that were made note of. Jhonatan is an 18 year old forward that was part of the senior team towards the end of the season for Gremio, he is also part of Brazil's u-18 National team, and is one of the most promising players coming out of Gremio's feeder system.
Benfica is obviously counting on this money for January. It's a shame, i'd really to see Diego Souza come to Benfica, Benfica only has to gain with his return. For one he has become a more mature player and is very far from the player who was once part of Benfica's squad, on a more farsighted observation, this player will most likely be the captain for Brazil's Olympic team in this summers Olympics, just think of how much he is going to go up in value if he has a great tournament. Even if he doesn't have a good summer tournament, there are plenty of teams in Brazil that want him. Benfica can use a player like Diego in their squad, the thing is that they will need to give Gremio every chance to acquire the player, if they want to keep the player. It's a waiting game until Wednesday.
Read the news article by expanding the whole post.
From Globoesporte.com
Clube oferece Jhonatan por Diego Souza
Atacante de 18 anos serviria como parte do pagamento para compra do volante ao Benfica
Destaque das categorias de base, o atacante Jonathan, de 18 anos, deve ajudar a manter Diego Souza no Olímpico. A direção do Grêmio concordou em ceder o jogador ao Benfica como parte do pagamento dos € 4 milhões (cerca de R$ 10,2 milhões) exigidos pelo clube português pelos direitos federativos do volante.
A resposta do Benfica à proposta gremista é esperada para quarta-feira, dia 2. O Grêmio teria oferecido o atacante Jonathan e mais € 3,5 milhões (R$ 9,1 milhões). Deste montante, € 3 milhões (R$ 7,8 milhões) viriam dos cofres da empresa que se propôs a fazer uma parceria com o clube, com o objetivo de lucrar com uma futura venda de Diego Souza.
O Benfica manifestou interesse em dois jogadores das categorias de base do Grêmio. Além de Jonathan, o zagueiro Wagner também interessa aos portugueses. Ambos foram observados de perto pelo olheiro Rui Águas, em dois jogos do Grêmio na Copa Paulo Rogério Amoretty. Mas o Grêmio só concorda em ceder um jogador.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Miguelito signs with Braga
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Benfica News 12/26/07
After the Christmas holiday, all of the Benfica players will report to training on Thursday 12/27. Few news happening over the the holiday
- Real Madrid's Soccer "strongman", Pedrag Mijatovic, has announced that Soldado will not be going anywhere, especially on loan. Soldado had been personally contacted by Camacho and hoped that he could get the playing time he needs to impress National Team coach at Benfica. Soldado has played very little at Real and would be open to an opportunity which could offer him valuable playing time.
- Rodriguez's representatives will be looking for Benfica to activate their priority clause and acquire the Uruguayan winger from PSG. Rodriguez is currently valued at 5mm Euros, but his representatives are confident that this value can be brought down during negotiation talks.
- Leo has manifested his desire to stay at Benfica, before leaving to Brazil, claiming that if it was up to him, that's where he would be playing next year. In the meantime, Leo also requested that he be excused until the end of this weekend, in order to follow his father's surgery, a request that Benfica denied.
- Gremio has put together a 3mm counter offer for Diego Souza, Benfica is currently asking for 4mm. Gremio is also including 2 players to be chosen by Benfica from their development program
- Benfica is closely following 2 Vasco da Gama youngsters, Phillipe Coutinho and Alex Teixeira.
Coutinho(forward)15, is being hailed as the next Messi, and already has both Manchester United and Real Madrid offers. Benfica currently has an agreement protocol with Vasco da Gama, which would give Benfica first "crack" at these youngsters, but because Coutinho is only 15, he is unable to sign a profesional contract.
Unless Vasco can convince Coutinho to sign in February when he turns 16, Benfica will have very little chance to get this player as Real Madrid will most likely snatch the youngster by negotiating directly with the boy's father and agent.
Alex Teixeira(attacking mid), 17, is currently under contract at Vasco and has been hailed as one of the best youngsters at his age level. A deal for Alex could include Diego Souza, who Vasco has shown interest in, but await Gremio's decision.
- Metz, from the French premiere, has shown interest in Marc Zoro. Metz is currently in the relegation zone and hope to strenghten their squad in order to avoid relegation.
- Fellipe Bastos, will be training with the senior squad this week. Fellipe Bastos signed with Benfica last week, and is destined for the Junior team, but due to Petit's injury and Binya's suspension, Camacho wants to have a close look at the Brazilian U-17 international, who plays in the defensive midfield sector.
- There was a nice article on Freddy Adu in Yesterdays Washington Post. click on "read full post" to see a full transcription.
Here's a trancription of the article
"By Jason La Canfora
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
"On his own, Adu has grown"
Freddy Adu's bedroom is a mess. Like any other 18-year-old coming home for the Christmas break, the teenager has stacks of video games next to the television and clothes strewn across the floor, eliciting a stern glare from his mother, Emelia.
But this is no ordinary scene, as haphazardly clustered amid the tower of boxes is a golf game autographed by Tiger Woods ("Keep kicking butt," reads the inscription) and the garments on the floor all bear the crest of famed European soccer club Benfica, with Adu's name and No. 30 on the back.
Christmas came a little early for the Adus this year, as the teenager came back to Rockville for the first time since leaving Major League Soccer for Benfica in late July, returning bearing gifts for family and friends. Adu proved a quick study in one of the world's premier leagues, earning playing time from the outset and becoming an important substitute for Benfica by chipping in goals and assists. Perhaps more importantly, he says he is at ease with the Portuguese language and lifestyle, and his love of the game has never been greater.
"It's just been amazing the way things are going right now," Adu said while reclining in the office of the house he built for his mother after turning pro with MLS. "Hard work and believing in yourself, I think it can take you a long way.
"I know there are some people out there who already wrote me off before my 18th birthday, and there were some hard times and reading those articles and things like that. But I've been able to survive that -- for now -- and I know there'll be some times when I'm not playing great and there will be some articles that won't be pleasant.
"But I think I got a lot of the hard part of my development out of the way and I'm working hard and I've found something that works for me. I'm in a place where I'm really wanted and where I'm treated well and my teammates have accepted me and I've found coaches that bring out the best in me. It's been a blessing."
The last six months have been a whirlwind for the Ghana native, whose family immigrated to the Washington area in 1997 after winning a green card lottery. Burdened with the expectations to be the "savior of American soccer" from roughly age 12, Adu endured what some considered to be a less-than-scintillating four years in MLS -- including his first three seasons with D.C. United -- before his strong outing in the Under-20 World Cup last summer cemented European interest in him.
He entered MLS at 14 and struggled for a regular starting spot during his time with United, clashing at times with authoritarian coach Peter Nowak, who now coaches the U.S. Olympic team and assists the men's national team. In hindsight, Adu considers the experience in MLS to have been ideal conditioning for Europe. He says he learned valuable lessons about professionalism and maturity, with his missteps and growing pains lacking the overwhelming media glare that comes when playing the world's game in Europe.
"Sometimes me and Peter didn't always see eye-to-eye," said Adu, who had a long heart-to-heart with Nowak in October before playing for the national team in Switzerland. "But that made me grow up, some of the mistakes I made and especially when I went to media and said some things, it's something I should have taken care of in the locker room.
"Some mistakes I feel like I made as a 15, 16-year-old obviously I wouldn't repeat now, because I learned a lot from it and it helped make me a better person and player and I'm benefiting from it right now to be honest with you."
Indeed, Adu has made no waves in Portugal since moving to Benfica on a $2 million transfer fee and signing a five-year deal worth about $1.25 million annually. He embraced his nescient status and prepared to earn his roster spot, even though a frenzied throng of fans awaited his initial arrival at the Lisbon airport.
Benfica is a consistently strong club within Portugal's top division; the team is a distant second place in the standings behind FC Porto at the winter break. Benfica was vying for qualification into the Champions League -- the most prestigious club tournament on the planet -- when Adu began training, but just two weeks later he entered a qualifier against FC Copenhagen in the 37th minute and earned praise for his play and composure in that victory.
The club's coach, who played a role in Adu's procurement, was fired in August after just two games, however, and Adu steeled for another period of adjustment. He gradually won over new coach Jos¿ Antonio Camacho, a dictatorial taskmaster who has coached Real Madrid and the Spanish national team. After a few weeks out of the lineup, Adu scored his first goal during a Portuguese tournament on Sept. 26, tying the game in injury time with a penalty kick.
"I went in and, wow, played 45 minutes in that game," said Adu, who is averaging one goal for every 60 minutes played. "And it was my first minutes since that Champions League qualifier and I went in and played well. I played very well. I was really surprised and I ended up topping it off by getting the game-tying goal and us winning on penalty kicks and after that I was like, 'This is it.' That was the turning point for me. It was like, 'I can play, I've got the talent to do this.' It's all about working hard and having confidence."
Three days later Adu, whose younger brother, Fro, just completed his first season for the George Mason soccer team, appeared in his first Portuguese League game. He has made regular late-game appearances since, often with the game on the line.
Troy Fitrell, a Washington native and assistant to the U.S. ambassador to Portugal, attends most matches, and said the applause and standing ovations for Adu are matched only by the salute to midfielder Rui Costa, one of Portugal's all-time legends, and American flags are waved in earnest at home matches, a rarity in Europe these days.
"Average fans start shouting 'O Americano' shortly after halftime at most games, when, sadly, Benfica is usually scoreless," Fitrell wrote in an e-mail. "When he starts to warm up they start cheering in a way they never do for Angel DiMaria, Nuno Gomes, or the other strikers."
In October, Adu scored two goals in an eight-game span and also became the youngest American to appear in a Champions League game as Benfica defeated Scotland's famed Celtic at home. Adu is also the youngest to play for the U.S. national team.
"It's hard for American players to earn any kind of respect in Europe," Adu said. "So I had to prove that I belonged to be there and I can make a difference."
Fitrell wrote that after Adu's third game-winning goal for the club the papers were filled with headlines like "The American Hero" and "Freddy Saves Us Again." The next day Fitrell had 40 e-mails congratulating him on Adu's success, "as if I had anything to do with it," Fitrell wrote. Fitrell's favorite post-game message came from a Communist Party member of parliament there, which read simply: "I love America."
Adu said he spends as much time as possible hanging around Benfica's stars; sublime playmaker Rui Costa, rumored to be a candidate for team presidency in coming years, has become a cherished mentor. Adu said his teammates have embraced him wholeheartedly, taking time to give him pointers and suggestions. He spends as much time as possible at the training facility and found an apartment in a ritzy part of Lisbon tucked between a resort and the U.S. Embassy, of great comfort to his mother.
Emelia visits every six weeks or so and stacks his freezer with home-cooked food, including his Ghanaian favorites, and for a few days this week both her boys are back under her roof. Adu, who earned his first start for the U.S. national team in a defeat of South Africa last month, leaves Thursday to return to training with Benfica, where he is navigating the responsibilities of independence with the rigors of elite soccer.
"In the United States there were so many people around Freddy that it was just convenient to let people do things for him -- friends, relatives, coaches, parents, agents, publicists," said Arnold Tarzy, his close family friend and former coach. "Over there he's on his own and it's made him do more regular stuff -- learn how to handle money and pay bills and things like that.
"It makes you grow up and be a lot more responsible -- not that he was ever irresponsible -- but he just has to pay attention to things everyone else normally has to. He's had to act completely like a self-sufficient adult, and I think it's made him a better person and it's made him more focused and businesslike about what he does."
Keeping a tidy room back in Rockville, it seems, will have to wait.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Benfica News for 12/12/07
Taking a look through the major Portuguese Sport online Dailies:
Portuguese Cup drawing - Benfica drew Feirense at home for the 5 round of the portuguese cup. Feirense is currently 12th in the Vitalis League ( Portugal's second flight). Porto drew Desportivo das Aves, which will have Romeu Ribeiro, Miguel Victor and Dabao in their squad by the time the game takes place, January 20th.
Quim's back in practice. Benfica's #1 trained without limitations this morning and will be ready for this weekend's clash against Belenenses.
Miguel Victor will play with the Juniors for a couple more games before joining Desportivo das Aves in January. Benfica's junior coach, Joao Alves, requested that Victor give his contribution to the junior squad after losing a few of his defensive players to injuries. Victor played this last weekend, and will play another 2 games for the junior squad before going on his loan.
Binya has been called by the Cameroonian national team to play a friendly against a Galiza select squad. This is another game where Otto Pfister will have a chance to look at players before making his CAN 08 roster official. Binya might very well be on this roster list, which would mean that Benfica wouldn't be able to count on Binya for at least the month of January and some of February.
Benfica is trying to acquire the rest of Cardozo's pass from Newell's (20% = 2.2mm). Bergessio is most likely going to be included in the deal for the buyout in the form of a loan or even a sale. Benfica is also trying to acquire the other 20% of DiMaria's pass from Rosario Central.. just a quick explanation of these percentages that are usually left on the table. Buying clubs do this to cut the price, agreeing to leave a percentage of the players pass with the team they bought the player from, what this means is that any future deals involving the player would guarantee the first seller a percentage of the sale, in this case 20%. This is clear move by Benfica to secure future talent, while anticipating to make money with these two players, buying the 20% would naturally maximize Benfica's return.
Cesar Delgado, remains quiet as far as his move to Benfica goes. The player told the Mexican media he would not talk about the move until it's official. The player also denied having any kind of agreement with Benfica. Also in the race are Lyon, Palermo, Olympiacos and Espanhol.
here's a clip of Delgado
Leo's representatives are in Lisbon this week to discuss contract renovations with Benfica. Brazil's Fluminense is following the meetings very carefully as they would be Leo's next home if Leo and Benfica fail to reach an agreement.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
And then there were 27
It's Official, Desportivo das Aves' president has just confirmed the loan of 3 benfica players. Romeu Ribeiro, Miguel Victor and Yu Dabao are the players who will be at the service of Desportivo das Aves come January 2nd. Desportivo das Aves is currently 14th in the Vitalis League (2nd Division) and will hope that all 3 players can help the team from being relegated.
Miguel Victor, got the most playing time from all three, he filled in at center back when Luisao and David Luiz were hurt alongside Katsouranis. Miguel Victor played 253 minutes in official games, which included one start in the Champions League. He showed that he has enough talent to be a serious candidate to a roster spot next year.
Romeu Ribeiro, was used as a back up defensive midfielder, when Petit was injured and accumulated 48 minutes from the appearances he made, mostly at the end of games, when Camacho needed and extra unit in midfield.
Yu Dabao, played 169 minutes in official games, all of them for the Carlsberg Cup, despite being one of the most valuable players in last years Junior League, Dabao wasn't able to convince Camacho that he is ready for the Senior team.
It would not surprise me to see at least 2 of these 3 players break into Aves' starting team. I'd say that both Victor and Ribeiro have enough talent to stay at Benfica, however the positions they play in are very deep at this time. Dabao was just not ready, let's hope he will continue to mature and gets enough playing time to develop into a very good player for Benfica.
Benfica News December 11,07
Marc Zoro's name is part Ivory Coast's preliminary roster for the African Nations Cup (CAN 08) to take place between the 20th of January and the 10th of February, the event is taking place in Ghana.
Quim left this morning's practice with a knee injury. He will be evaluated tomorrow.
Rumours of a couple of players being tied to Benfica are surfacing. The first one being Cesar Delgado, a twenty six year old Argentinian forward who currently plays for Mexico's Cruz Azul, the club's president has publicly denied any negotiations between benfica and Cruz Azul. The other one is Christian Benitez, an Equatorian young promise who plays upfront. He just finished representing Santos Laguna in the Mexican league. His agent has confirmed contacts from Benfica, and told the Equatorian media that there is an offer on the table that they are currently looking at.
Marcel, who was on loan at Gremio has been let go by the club, he will however remain in Brasil as his future will most likely go through another loan at another Brazilian club.
Luis Felipe Vieira just came back from a quick trip to Argentina, apparently he is trying to by cardozo's pass in it's totallity. Benfica only owns 80% of Cardozo's pass currently.
Benfica just signed a 17 year old Brazilian to a 3 year deal by the name of Fellipe Bastos. Bastos is a product of Botafogo's development program, having represented and captained Brazil's U-17 team that played in this years Pan-American games. Bastos is a defensive midfielder but can play in any central midfielder position. He will integrate the junior team under Joao Alves' command.
Apparently, January it'll be the end of the Benfica line for Bergessio, the player has already been informed by Camacho that he will be one of the players being cut from the squad. the Argentinian is currently studying several offers and will most likely return to Argentina. Andre Diaz will most likely have the same destiny.
Cristian Rodriguez made his full return to training today.
Friday, December 7, 2007
Trimming the Squad
With the January window fast approaching, Benfica will be trimming their squad from 30 players to just around 22. Here are some of the players that will be on their way out on loan and their destinations:
Fabio Coentrao - Nacional da Madeira (Bwin)
Miguel Vítor, Romeu Ribeiro and Yu Dabao - Desportivo das Aves (Vitalis League)
Andres Diaz - Estrela da Amadora (Bwin)
Zoro - ?
For the young players, it'll be a welcome challenge as they will most likely see more playing time and will be picking up valuable experience in the process. As for Zoro, he seems to be the odd man out. He has failed to make an impression on Camacho, and currently the central defender position is very deep. Zoro's agent is currently trying to place the Ivory Coast international in a team, hoping that he can still impress his national team coach to be called to the African Nation's Cup, to be held early next year.
These are 6 players that will definetely be going off in hopes they can impress Camacho for next season. Camacho is looking to pick up a minimum of 2 players when the transfer window opens up, his priorities are an attacking midfielder that plays on the right as well as a forward. So with these 6 players gone we would see the squad back to 24 players which is a closer number to what Camacho wants the squad at, with the possible acquisition of 2 more players, Camacho will see himself cutting a minimum of 2 more players. More news will come out of the Benfica camp in the next 2 to 3 weeks.
