Glorioso 1904 exclusive - Rafa for Portugal? JJ has Benfica star's answer | OneFootball

Jorge Jesus wanted to have Rafa Silva among his options for the National Team, Glorioso 1904 has learned. The current Portugal manager tried to convince the forward to reverse his decision to step away from the national team. However, despite the direct invitation from the coach, our newspaper has learned that the Benfica player stood firm and refused to represent Portugal again.

Jorge Jesus’s interest in the player’s return is based on his deep knowledge of his quality. The coach rates Rafa highly, having worked with him at Benfica during the 2020/21 and 2021/22 seasons. That connection fueled the manager’s hope of bringing the player back into the national team setup.

The refusal communicated by the 33-year-old player is tied to his personal conviction to keep the word he gave in the past. The forward gave up representing Portugal in 2022, citing strictly personal reasons. Since then, the Portugal international has never worn the national team shirt again.

Despite Jesus’s insistence on having his pace and ability to unsettle defenses in attack, Rafa’s decision proved final. According to what our newspaper found out, the player thanked the new manager for the confidence shown, but made it clear that his chapter with the National Team is closed.

. The manager wanted to bring back an experienced player familiar with his style of play, but the footballer’s wishes prevailed. Rafa therefore remains fully focused on his commitments with Benfica.

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