Benfica’s young gem tipped for stardom, likened to João Neves | OneFootball

Paulo Lopes considers Gonçalo Moreira to be "similar" to João Neves, and predicts a great future for the player from Benfica's youth academy. The former player and coach of the Eagles' under-23 team gave an interview to the newspaper A Bola, where he discussed some of the young players who might make the leap to the main team.

When asked who he predicts will have a top career, Paulo Lopes began by saying: "When you train a team with the quality of Benfica, it's natural for many names to emerge. It's very difficult, because I'm sure that soon three or four will be at the top."

"It depends on the context, but I really like Gonçalo Moreira. He is very similar to João Neves, in the joy with which he trains and the willingness he has to help the team. I'm absolutely sure he will be a top-level player. When? I don't know. It will take its time, he will have to be patient, but I believe he will get there," he stated, unafraid to make the comparison with the midfielder who now shines at PSG.

Paulo Lopes introduced Gonçalo Oliveira to the under-23s when he was only 17 years old, and explained this decision: "It was a very young generation, [Gonçalo] Moreira, [João] Fonseca, Olívio [Tomé]. Maybe that's why the results weren't the best (laughs), but in terms of player development, it was the best thing that was done."

"They were playing in a higher competition, against older players. Those involved in the process must be aware that there might be failures and that they won't win as often. The B team had a fantastic season last year, but there was a generational change. If we are focused on winning the competition, this cannot be the plan, clearly. But if everyone agrees and is focused, I completely agree," concluded the former Benfica goalkeeper.

Check out José Mourinho's words about Gonçalo Moreira here:

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