“He'll manage Benfica sooner or later”: ex-midfielder on Ruben Amorim | OneFootball

Adel Taarabt knows both sides of the clash between Milan and Benfica well. The former Moroccan midfielder represented the Eagles for seven seasons, between 2015 and 2022, and also wore the Italian side’s shirt. In an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport, the 37-year-old former player previewed the match and offered plenty of praise, but also a few criticisms of the Reds.

One of the first topics discussed was Ruben Amorim, Milan’s coach. Taarabt revealed that he knows the manager from the time when both were linked to Benfica, although they were never teammates.

“He is a top-level coach, he has a lot of class and is very direct. If someone has to be cut from the squad, he does it without hesitation. He says what he thinks,” he said, adding that he believes Amorim could one day manage Benfica. “Sooner or later, I think he will coach them. I compare him a little to Gasperini. For him, the team comes before the individual.”

Taarabt also spoke about Gonçalo Ramos, whom he came across when the forward was playing for Benfica’s B team. “He was a monster. I haven’t spoken to him in a while, but he’s great. I don’t know if he is a pure No. 9; in the B team he played as a winger, received the ball and ran. At Milan, he seems to be having difficulties playing with his back to goal,” he recalled.

On the Eagles’ current players, the former Morocco international highlighted Prestianni, Rafa Silva and Leandro Barreiro, while also expressing some doubts about Pavlidis and Sudakov: “I really like Prestianni: he is an Argentine talent, he dribbles and scores goals,” he said, before praising Rafa: “He is like a brother to me and is very underrated. He has vision and creativity.”

Barreiro, meanwhile, earned a bold prediction: “He is a midfielder who runs a lot and knows how to build moves. I think he will be sold for several million.” Despite his praise for Benfica, Taarabt did not hesitate when naming a favorite: “Milan are still strong and are the favorites. The days of Darwin Núñez’s Benfica are over.”

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