Sudakov’s close friend hints at Benfica exit for a bigger club | OneFootball

Georgiy Sudakov – who went through a family tragedy – strengthened Benfica in the summer transfer window. Taras Stepanenko spent several years with the creative player at Shakhtar and believes the Ukrainian can succeed at Luz. However, the former teammate points to “a bigger club” than the Eagles.

“He is full of qualities, likes to work, and also knows how to impress. He will look to reach an even higher level with the opportunity to play for Benfica, to play in the Portuguese League and the Champions League. He can grow and achieve great results,” said the midfielder to the newspaper O Jogo.

Stepanenko does not hide his admiration for Sudakov, assuring that his former teammate “Has a great attitude towards training, the game, and knows how to impose his qualities and abilities. He will adapt and respect Benfica’s demands. His game intelligence is very good, in what he builds, in the way he receives with his back to goal and returns the ball. Strong in transitions, he can help create superiority in the second phase of build-up. Tactically he is very good, I think he grew a lot under [coach] De Zerbi, just like Mudryk. He knows modern football and his responsibilities, and for that reason, he will be an excellent addition.”

Despite having just arrived at Luz this transfer window, Sudakov is already being tipped for new heights: “I see Benfica as a big step, he will gain new goals and new ambitions. He could still be sold to a bigger club. He has everything to go well. He has the qualities of an 8, but also of a 10. He is very good at building play and dribbling in one-on-one situations, and also knows how to move the ball to other areas of the field. He has a good shot and a good pass.”

“I sense that he will fit in very well, my experience with Paulo Fonseca and Luís Castro tells me this will be a good league to help him improve some things. They should be patient with him, because he will be adapting to a new language and culture and getting to know the country. He just needs some time, because he is hardworking and has great personality and character. He is shy, doesn’t talk much, but he has the right mindset to play football,” Stepanenko concluded.

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