José Mourinho still backs Benfica’s big-money signing | OneFootball

José Mourinho is fully confident that Richard Ríos will succeed wearing the Benfica shirt. After the own goal against Chelsea, the midfielder was deeply affected, even apologizing to the fans. However, the Portuguese coach wants the Colombian international to keep his head up and show all his quality.

“Ríos himself, who unfortunately was involved in the goal, I’m starting to understand him better. When he drops too deep, he doesn’t have much quality in tight spaces. He needs space to play. He’s a player who gets forward, recovers the ball a lot. He’s even been a bit criticized because of the transfer fee. But he also played well,” said José Mourinho at the end of Chelsea – Benfica.

In the Champions League match, Richard Ríos ended up scoring an own goal in a play where Amar Dedic also didn’t look good. At the end of the game, the midfielder apologized to the fans and left the pitch visibly emotional, being comforted by his teammates and supporters.

It’s worth remembering that Richard Ríos joined Benfica at the start of this season, coming from Palmeiras. The club from Luz paid around 27 million euros to Abel Ferreira’s team, making the Colombian international one of the most expensive players in the history of the Eagles.

This season, playing for Benfica, Richard Ríos – valued at 16 million euros – has played 14 matches: seven in Liga Portugal Betclic, six in the Champions League, and one in the Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira. In the 1,193 minutes he’s been on the pitch, the midfielder has yet to score a goal or provide an assist.

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