to publish : April 20, 2024
by : Thomas Giroud
After losing to Marseille on penalties (4-2), Lisbon's European adventure ended in the quarter-finals. Benfica fans were very disappointed with their team. Reactions from the Portuguese side were not long in coming.
Roger Schmidt in goal for Lisbon supporters
Benfica supporters were very disappointed with the content provided by their players. Already in the first leg at the Estadio da Luz, some whistles were heard despite the victory. For Lisbon supporters, Roger SchmidtThe current coach of Benfica is the only one responsible. The lack of ambition shown by Benfica against a Portuguese team that was deemed by the Portuguese media to be “in crisis, weak and physically exhausted” was greatly appreciated by the Portuguese fans.
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– Bruno Costa Carvalho, former candidate for the presidency of Benfica, told the Record newspaper
Former Vice President of Benfica Gaspar RamosHe wasn't kind to the current coach either. According to him, Roger Schmidt He is solely responsible for this defeat by Lisbon.
“Once again the coach must be held accountable. Playing with a lower team and only defending… If he had played the whole match with a striker pushing the centre-backs back, Benfica would have won. Schmidt made mistakes in several matches and that is why we lost the championship.”
– Gaspar Ramos, former vice president of Benfica, to the Portuguese newspaper Record
The players are also very disappointed
Lisbon coach Roger SchmidtI was also disappointed with the result. He realized that it was a difficult match in a very sensitive atmosphere for them. The German coach also expressed his regret for the opportunities his players wasted, and believes that Benfica could have opened the scoring. There is no doubt that this small goal would have changed the shape of the match and the final result.
“We went into extra time and had two big moments to score what could have been the decisive goal, but we missed those chances, and in the penalty shootout they executed better and decided the game. There is nothing to ease the pain. For the players, it takes a few days to digest this defeat.” “Because as we saw today and in these two matches, it was possible to reach the semi-finals, and this is disappointing.”
– Roger Schmidt in the post-match conference after the elimination against Marseille
Same story for Joao Mario. The experienced Benfica midfielder made it very clear that his team played well and could have scored goals.
“We had a small advantage, but it was an advantage. We had a lot of control over the game, and the team performed well. In the second half we were good too, and we ended up conceding a goal due to lack of interest and we kept trying. It was a very competitive match, and we knew that the opponent was Strong here, at home, but we had moments to score first. This did not happen. Losing on penalties is always sad, and it leaves you disappointed, but this is part of football.”
– Joao Mario after the match at the Velodrome
Disappointment was also present among them Florentino Luis. The Lisbon midfielder said his teammates fought until the end. He also admitted that the match was difficult for his team. Disappointment was present in the Portuguese locker room.
“It's not just me who's disappointed, the whole team is disappointed. We had consistency during the 120 minutes, and maybe we didn't have the football we played in the last matches. We knew it would be difficult. The team played well, but the details It was the small details that made the difference, and the team maintained its focus for as long as possible. It was a distraction in this step, and it is what happens. We gave everything on the field and left the field with our heads held high.”
– Florentino Luis after the match
After being eliminated from the European Cup, relegated to the second division seven points behind Sporting Lisbon five days before the end of the tournament and eliminated from the Portuguese Cup, Benfica is on the verge of ending the season without a major trophy. This would be a huge disappointment for the most successful clubs in Portugal.
