Javier Saviola recalls Benfica spell, says team-mate was the best | OneFootball

Javier Saviola was one of the names that brought fans the most joy at the start of the 2010s, in a Benfica side packed with stars and coached by Jorge Jesus. Recently, the Argentine looked back on the three seasons he spent at Luz, highlighting the friendship and camaraderie with Pablo Aimar, whom he praised highly.

"Pablo was the best teammate I had throughout my career. And I played with some truly great players. But with Pablo, one look was enough and we knew what we had to do. It was an incredible connection. After leaving River, we knew it would be difficult to find another player we could understand so well. It’s very hard to find someone with such a similar style of play. We tried, at other clubs, to find a way to play together again. That opportunity came at Benfica, with Jorge Jesus, who immediately accepted my transfer," Saviola began.

"Pablo was already there. And really, it was another luxury to play together again, with more experience. We weren’t as young as we were at River, when we were 17 or 19 years old. We were older by then. And we enjoyed it immensely because we won the Portuguese league. People remember that team very fondly, because it played very well. It was a privilege to play alongside Pablo once again," he added, in an interview with journalist Rodrigo Rea.

"It was a finish over the goalkeeper. I remember it because it was raining heavily and it was difficult. The goalkeeper came off his line and I lifted the ball over him. It reminded me of my childhood days," recalled the former number 30 shirt, referring to the chipped goal against Académica de Coimbra in the 2009/10 season.

"I got to know him very well at Benfica. He was young, just a kid. He has improved enormously since those Benfica days. He has been an inspiration and an example to follow. He always did everything in a simple and natural way. Returning to Rosario Central was a reward. We’re happy that these last few years have gone so well for him," he concluded, while heaping praise on Ángel Di María, who has once again made headlines.

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