Exclusive Glorioso 1904: Mauro Xavier wants Benfica deal renewed, key man | OneFootball

Mauro Xavier would like Nicolás Otamendi to renew his contract with Benfica. In this Glorioso 1904 exclusive, our newspaper spoke with the well-known Eagles supporter, who commented on António Silva’s contract situation, set the objective for the end of the season, shared his views on the strategy to adopt in the summer transfer market, and spoke about the presence of athletes from the red club at the World Cup.

"Benfica have a clear obligation: to win everything and secure the 21 points still up for grabs. At a club of this size, there is no room for calculations or external dependencies. The focus has to be exclusively on what we can control: winning every game until the end. But it is not enough just to win, Benfica have to play well, assert themselves with quality and identity. The bare minimum required, given the current points situation, is second place," he began by saying regarding the objective to be achieved in the closing stretch of the league campaign.

The 2026/2027 season is already starting to be planned - Rui Costa has already defined plans - and for the leader of the Alliance with Microsoft EMEA at PwC, the red club should prioritise stability and invest in Seixal’s talents. "Benfica need stability in their sporting model. That means consistent decisions, an aligned structure, and a medium-term vision that avoids constant cycles of disruption. Signings should be targeted, backed by strong scouting and clear criteria. At the same time, the commitment to youth development must be structural, not circumstantial. Seixal remains a decisive competitive advantage, as long as it is integrated into a performance-driven logic. On that basis, I hope José Mourinho can build a team capable of bringing titles back to Benfica," he said.

The renewals of António Silva and Nicolás Otamendi will be situations to resolve. Mauro Xavier laments the case of the Portuguese centre-back, seeing his departure as the most likely scenario, and regarding the Argentine captain, the Benfica member would like him to stay at the Glorioso. "There is a management principle that must be respected: when a player does not renew by the third year of his contract, he should be sold. Not because of a lack of quality, but because of strategy. In António Silva’s case, I regret that this moment was not handled differently. He is a player of enormous quality and an example of what it means to be Benfica. Nicolás Otamendi, meanwhile, remains a fundamental piece because of his leadership and experience. He is a player who adds value on and off the pitch, and whose presence raises the level of the team", he explained.

To conclude, Mauro Xavier believes António Silva and Tomás Araújo will be at the World Cup, saying that the decision on who will partner Rúben Dias belongs to national team coach Roberto Martínez. "The choice will depend on the context and current form. They are different profiles, both valid, and the decision should be made according to the team’s balance," he concluded.

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