Controversy! Ex-Benfica midfielder's father hits out at Rui Costa | OneFootball

Benfica confirmed this Friday the transfer of midfielder Gil Neves to German side Cologne. The Lisbon club made the deal official, bringing the player’s connection with the Eagles’ youth setup to an end two years after his arrival. However, this transfer is causing controversy because of comments made by a family member.

Rui Neves, the father of the 18-year-old central midfielder, says that the board led by Rui Costa presented a renewal offer that “was not interesting” and speaks of a “dangerous” strategy that could affect the futures of the Eagles’ young players.

“Football is all about strategy and politics. Benfica’s policy is to ‘tie down’ young players for five years and then decide unilaterally whether to give them a chance or not”, he said in an interview with the newspaper Contacto.

Gil Neves signed with the Reds at the age of 16 and was about to enter the final year of his contract. The player, who is from Luxembourg, decided to move to Germany, where, because of the country’s proximity to his homeland and the ease of the language, he believes he can take steady steps toward success.

The German club acquired the 18-year-old player’s registration rights for a fee of around €1 million, while the Eagles secured an important percentage of any future sale, safeguarding further financial return.

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