João Cancelo still thinking of Benfica as he returns to Barcelona | OneFootball

João Cancelo was officially presented last Tuesday as a reinforcement for Barcelona, on loan until the end of the season from Al Hilal. The 31-year-old Portuguese international expressed his excitement about returning to the Catalan club and did not forget his time at Benfica during his youth career.

"I played for Benfica in the youth teams against Barcelona sides. I really identify with the club's culture. I only played one season, but today I came back and felt at home when I entered the locker room," revealed the Portuguese international, showing pride in his professional journey, which included a spell at Seixal.

In a press conference, Cancelo also highlighted his dream of playing at Camp Nou wearing the blaugrana shirt. "As a visitor, I don't have very good memories [of the stadium]. I want to experience playing in the stadium. I have been waiting for this for a long time", he said, also recalling the influence of Dani Alves and his identification with Barcelona's culture.

João Cancelo — valued at 10 million euros — this season, with Al Hilal, the full-back played only six official matches. In the 469 minutes he was on the pitch, he scored one goal and provided two assists. For Benfica, Cancelo spent 7 years (2007 to 2014), and played two matches for the first team in 2013/2014.

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