Clement Biedron, Media365, published on Sunday, May 12, 2024 at 3:45 pm.
After eight years at Benfica, Rafa Silva has decided to terminate his contract and will therefore leave the club in the Portuguese capital in a few weeks. The striker will have to head to Qatar.
Big buzz at Benfica! Rafa Silva, bought in August 2016 for 16 million euros from Braga, will leave one of the two Lisbon clubs at the end of the season. Until then, no one knew (almost) whether the striker intended to extend the adventure or not, but a few hours before welcoming Arouca on the penultimate day of the championship, Roger Schmidt, the coach, announced the news. In front of the press, the coach mentioned the Portuguese player's condition. He said: “Unfortunately, I confirm that this will be Rafa's last match at the Estadio da Luz.” “We knew that from the beginning of the season and now I can confirm it. It's another reason for us to play a good game and create a good atmosphere. He's a special player, unique and brings a lot of quality. Even though we weren't champions (Benfica are second, 8 points behind Sporting), he always played well. I wish him the best for the future.”
Are you heading to Qatar?
With Benfica, Rafa Silva played no less than 325 matches, scoring 92 goals and providing 78 assists. He also won three championships, two Super Cups and the Portuguese Cup. For now, the player has not mentioned the end of his adventure with his favorite club, but he should be honored at his home stadium on Sunday evening. He is expected to play his last match with the Lisbon team on May 19 at Rio Ave Stadium to mark the end of the tournament. Rafa Silva also did not talk about his future destination. And when Sporting, the other club in town, approached him at the beginning of the year, it seemed that his next team would play in a more exotic tournament. Indeed, according to the press, he could take over Qatar and Al Sadd. According to Footmercato, an offer has already been made to him.
