Benfica coach hails Anísio Cabral: "He is our..." | OneFootball

Luís Araújo, coach of Benfica’s under-19 team - while Bernardo Silva addresses a possible return - gave a positive assessment of the season, despite admitting it was a "very demanding year, with ups and downs", which ended with second place in the competition. In that same vein, he highlighted Anísio Cabral, describing him as the "title" of the season.

"For us, he is our title. Having a player included in the under-19 squad who, halfway through the season, manages to reach the first team and deliver the kind of performances Anísio [Cabral] did makes us coaches proud, makes all the players proud, and is a motivating factor for us to keep working," he stressed, in comments to BTV.

The coach explained that participation in the Youth League and the presence of several players at the Under-17 World Cup forced constant "adjustments in terms of working groups", which affected the team’s performance. "The results did not always match what the Club demands," he admitted.

Even so, he highlighted the group’s competitive ability throughout the season. "The team had good moments and others that were not so good, but it meant we were always able to approach each match by imposing our training model, our playing style, and our ability to impose ourselves on the opponent," he said.

Luís Araújo acknowledged that qualification for the next edition of the UEFA Youth League "was essential for" the Eagles’ project. "That competition is crucial for the development of our players. It is an international competition in which the best European players of that age take part. Benfica has a history in the competition, and we could not be left out. It was fundamental, because we firmly believe that these youngsters’ participation in this competition helps them achieve their objectives at professional level," he concluded.

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