Exclusive Glorious 1904 - Ivanovic gets update on Benfica future | OneFootball

The Benfica structure maintains confidence in Franjo Ivanovic. The Croatian striker joined the Clube da Luz during the summer transfer window from Union St. Gilloise for around 23 million euros, but he has yet to establish himself as a starter in the team.

Our Journal reveals, in this Glorioso 1904 Exclusive, that the technical staff at Benfica continue to believe in the potential of Franjo Ivanovic. At just 21 years old, he was seen as one of the most promising forwards in Europe, and at Luz, the consensus is that the player just needs to go through the adaptation period to Portuguese football to start playing at his full potential.

The player made a strong start at Benfica, scoring in his debut against Nice. However, he has yet to play a full 90 minutes in any of the nine matches he has played for Benfica this season. In terms of goals, he has not yet reached his best level, having celebrated only once since that goal against the French team.

The truth is that Bruno Lage's tactical choice did not seem to help Franjo Ivanovic, as the Croatian often played in support of Pavlidis, and not in the striker position he knows best. The arrival of Sudakov also limited his opportunities - he was even benched in the last match against Qarabag.

José Mourinho could, in this sense, give new life to Franjo Ivanovic, and it remains to be seen how the new Benfica coach will prefer to use the Croatian forward. What is certain is that, within the club's structure, there is no regret for the 23 million euros spent on the player during the transfer window this summer.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.