Benfica prodigy recalls debut at the Luz against PSG: I was shaking | OneFootball

Clarinha, a 20-year-old forward from the Benfica women's football team, spoke about the impact the Club has had on her growth as a player. The footballer emphasized that the Club from Luz – which was sanctioned for criticizing refereeing – was decisive in her reaching the Brazilian U-20 national team and recalled her debut at Estádio da Luz.

“Benfica was one of the main factors that got me where I am, to the national team. I started here when I was 13, I didn’t even expect to come to a club like Benfica at 13,” she said in an official interview with the red emblem.

The athlete also explained that the decision to pursue her dream in football required some personal sacrifices: “Maybe I lost a lot of my life to be here, but it was for a good cause. I lost my adolescence, I lost friends, I lost time with my family, which maybe kids and teenagers enjoy during that period,” she stated.

In the same conversation, the player also spoke about winning the South American U-20 Championship: It was a very important moment in my life. Not just for winning a title, but for representing Brazil, which is a dream I’ve had since I was born. It still hasn’t sunk in that I was there, that I took part.”

The forward also recalled her debut in the UEFA Women's Champions League, against Paris Saint-Germain, at Estádio da Luz: “I thought, ‘I’m going to step onto Estádio da Luz, where I’ve always dreamed of playing since I’ve been at Benfica’. I was really nervous, I was shaking all over.”

Finally, the player spoke about reuniting with Valadares Gaia, the club where she started playing in Portugal: “It was the club that made it possible for me to reach Benfica, so it has a bit of a special connection for me. It’s very important for me to continue to have that connection with the club.”

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