Son of Benfica legend backs Richard Ríos against criticism: "Ignorance" | OneFootball

António Oliveira believes that Richard Ríos will still achieve great success at Benfica. In statements to the newspaper O Jogo, the son of Toni, a legend of the Clube da Luz, highlights the qualities of the 25-year-old Colombian international, noting that the athlete is not to blame for having cost 27 million euros.

“People have a very big misunderstanding of who Richard Ríos is, he is not a creative player, not one for the final pass, but rather a high-energy player, extremely competitive, with a good relationship with the ball, but he is better at stealing and delivering, and if given freedom, he likes to appear in finishing areas,” António Oliveira begins by stating, addressing the midfielder's current situation.

Toni's son highlights the challenges Richard Ríos has faced: “What is asked at Benfica is not what was asked at Palmeiras, just like at Flamengo and Guarani. It is a new reality, the first time he has left South America, he is adapting to a new context, a new club, and a new city. Everything takes time.”

“He is an extremely interesting player for Benfica to have in their squad. I believe he will add value. Do not doubt his worth. Richard Ríos is a player that teams need, but people must be patient. He is not the one who will solve the games, he is another one to help in the rebuilding of the squad,” adds António Oliveira.

“He cost 27 million because 27 was offered. The price of players, houses, and cars is what we pay for them. People need to understand how the market is behaving, players are extremely inflated. He came from one of the best teams in South America, where he was a key player. He came for a value that used to be paid for a number 10,” concludes António Oliveira.

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