João Palhinha's first words at Benfica: I want to make history (Video) | OneFootball

He is officially a Benfica signing and is not hiding his immense happiness at returning to Portugal to represent a Club that, he assures, has everything it takes to fight for titles. The Portugal international made it clear that he arrives at the Luz with a very specific mission: to help keep the team on the path of major achievements.

"It has been a very good start to the season. The expectations are huge, as we all know, when representing Benfica. And right now I am one more person here to help, to give everything for the Club. I have no doubt that the entire structure and all the fans are also longing to win titles. And above all, it is about keeping Benfica flying throughout the season," he began by telling BTV.

The connection to Marco Silva was also decisive in the midfielder’s return to Portuguese football. "Marco, as has rightly been said, is a coach who knows me very well, knows what I can bring. He helped me grow when I was at Fulham. It was a huge pleasure to work with him and to work with him again now at Benfica. I feel very happy," he explained.

The defensive midfielder also revealed that the insistence of the coach and Rui Costa carried weight in the decision. "All the effort he made for me to join the Club, both him and the President, the whole structure, all the desire to have me here was also decisive in making this happen. The least I can do is repay all the effort the structure made", he revealed.

Choosing Benfica did, however, involve a decision that the player himself admits he had not foreseen months earlier. Palhinha revealed that he gave up other possibilities and that only he and his family truly know what was behind the move. "Only I and my family truly understand what I had to give up to be here. A lot was said, but no one ever heard from my own mouth what I am going to say right now. The truth is that there were difficult moments in making a decision at this stage, because it involved many things... The family side, above all, together with the push from the structure, as I mentioned, to have me here, were the main points in my decision to return to my country," he said.

The midfielder even admitted that he did not expect this scenario. "If you ask me whether this was what I perhaps thought a few months ago, I would say no, very honestly. But the truth is that the circumstances, everything around me, family matters, namely my children, and all the effort made by the structure, both Marco and the President, made me rethink my career goals," he confessed.

The return also carries special meaning because of the footballer’s own history. João Palhinha recalled that, at 16, he tried to join Benfica, but ended up taking another path before building a top-level career. Now, many years later, he returns to the Club at a completely different stage. "I would say that training session was worth it, regardless of things not having happened at the time. I made my journey with great pride through every club I played for", he admitted.

It is precisely at this stage of his career that João Palhinha is embracing one of the biggest ambitions of his football journey: to leave his mark on Benfica. "One of my main goals is to make history at this Club and to have moments, to remember moments, together with my children, of celebrating titles and victories. That is what I want to give to my family and, obviously, to the whole structure that, as I said, always gave me great support so that I would come to the Club," he said.

To the fans, the new signing also gave a guarantee of commitment for a demanding season. "Keep supporting Benfica, as is already normal. With even more strength, if possible, because it is going to be a very challenging, very competitive season. There will not always be moments of glory, but we have to maintain all our hope, all our faith and all our resilience throughout the season, because I believe that together we will achieve very beautiful things," he concluded.

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