Former Obrador coach on leaving Benfica: taking a step back | OneFootball

The journey through the youth ranks of Real Madrid - which recently thrashed an opponent in the Champions League - and his breakthrough in the first team of Deportivo La Coruña marked him as the natural heir to Álvaro Carreras. However, Rafael Obrador did not convince Bruno Lage nor did he enchant José Mourinho. Óscar Gilsanz, the coach who launched him in the first team of the Galician club, in a conversation with Record, continues to believe in his potential.

"I don't know what happened, as I haven't been following Benfica's team much, but I know that Rafael didn't play as he certainly expected. In November, the Spanish under-21 team had a match here in Galicia, I watched that game and Rafael performed well," the coach reported.

Loaned to Torino, Italy, until the end of the season, the Spanish under-21 international might not even return to the Benfica pitch, as the Italians have a purchase option of 9 million euros, which could be exercised if the Spaniard's performances justify it.

Gilsanz, who has been without a club since leaving the technical command of Deportivo at the end of the 2024/2025 season, shared an interesting idea regarding the now Torino full-back: "One thing is to reach the first team of a club that plays in the Spanish second division. Another, quite different, is to manage to play at Benfica. An intermediate step would have been better for his career."

"At 21, it's important for him to play regularly, to have continuity to evolve. Therefore, it's crucial that he is careful in choosing his next team," reinforced the coach who spent his entire career with Deportivo's colors but admits he would accept an invitation from Portuguese football to resume his activity.

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