Fernando Duarte assesses Benfica linchpin: quiet but reliable | OneFootball

Marco Silva made his debut last Saturday in front of Benfica’s fans, taking charge of the team in the friendly against Flamengo. Despite the 2-1 defeat, Benfica’s new coach used the match to draw conclusions about the state of the squad and made it clear after the game that he still wants to strengthen the team.

Benfica was only 23 years old and had established himself as one of the team’s pillars, making 36 appearances that season, the highest tally of his career as a footballer.

"Looking back, it was an honour to coach him, because today he is established at the highest level. The career he has built as a coach does not surprise me. Although he was never a very outgoing person, he always showed great communication skills and a deep understanding of the game," the former coach told newspaper 'Record'. He is now 65 years old and president of the Parish Council of Santa Marinha and São Pedro da Afurada, in Vila Nova de Gaia.

According to Fernando Duarte, those were the qualities that Marco Silva showed as a player. The former coach highlighted above all the professionalism and dedication he displayed every day.

"Honestly, he was never someone who tried to please the coach out of self-interest, but he always did everything that was asked of him in training and never left anything undone. I hope he remains exactly the same, with the same humility and ability to lead a group. May he make Benfica, one of the biggest clubs in the world, an even better team and enjoy great success," he concluded.

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