Marco Silva turned down a billionaire club to join Benfica, find out who | OneFootball

he came very close to joining Al Nassr, but ultimately chose Benfica to continue his career. The revelation was made by Saad Al-Subaie, former director of the Saudi club’s legal department, who confirmed that the Portuguese coach was the top choice to replace Jorge Jesus.

Through the social network X, the former official explained that Benfica’s current coach was at the top of the preference list: “The first and strongest option was Marco Silva, but in the final moments he decided his future and signed with Benfica,” he wrote.

The decision comes after Benfica moved to appoint Marco Silva following José Mourinho’s departure. As soon as the possibility of taking charge of the Eagles emerged, the coach showed himself receptive to the project presented by Rui Costa.

Despite receiving a very financially attractive offer from Saudi Arabia, Marco Silva remained intent on signing for Benfica. Despite Al Nassr’s interest, the coach ultimately prioritized the challenge of managing Benfica.

Saad Al-Subaie himself revealed that the Saudis have already significantly narrowed down the alternatives, stating that “at present, the options are down to just two names, one of whom is leading his team at the Club World Cup. And the other is the coach of one of South America’s clubs.”

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