Marco Silva unveiled at Benfica: everything the manager said | OneFootball

5:42 PM - End of the press conference

5:41 PM - Message to the fans: "I wanted to leave two messages. The first is to say that this is the biggest challenge of my career; I’ve said that in every project I put the maximum level of demand into it. This is the biggest challenge of my career. And also to remind everyone of the strength we have. Real was a topic yesterday. Not long ago they had elections and had 30 thousand. You know how many voters Benfica had in its elections. Even from afar I felt the support was constant, and that patience will be fundamental; I’m not talking about being less demanding. This difference in numbers only shows the club’s greatness. The more united we are, the harder it will be for us not to be victorious. If we stay united, we will become stronger and stronger. We will do our part, connect all the pieces. And I know they will do their part so that we can celebrate."

5:39 PM - Conversation with Rui Costa: "The conversation was clear. At the time I showed openness. If you had asked me five months ago whether my goal was to return to Portugal, I would have said no. My answer (to Rui Costa) was to leave the door open, because it was something that excited me. The first conversation was an expression of interest."

5:36 PM - Would you like to have Harry Wilson? Have you suggested any Fulham names, such as a centre-back? Are you bringing part of your coaching staff? "Yes, a large part of it. In due time you’ll know. I’m not going to single anyone out. At the moment there is no Fulham player on the table."

5:36 PM - In England you went to clubs that were not fighting for titles. Is this the main challenge of your career? "I started at Estoril, that was where it all began. I’m very proud of that project. Not every club has the ability to fight for titles. Benfica is one of the great clubs in the world. I understand the question about England; being at Benfica brings responsibility. But pressure—if it doesn’t exist, I’m the first to put it there. The club’s stature and size will naturally bring pressure. Pressure is a privilege. There will be moments when it is very intense, others when we will be able to enjoy things; that’s a bit how it is, we have to be able to handle it. I know that in the less positive moments all the pressure falls on the coach."

5:32 PM - Have you already spoken about the financial resources for strengthening the squad? "Of course, financial matters were discussed. But the project is not only about that. The president was clear yesterday: there will be room to strengthen the squad. I have some principles and profiles defined for certain players. I want to leave a clear message for the fans and for the squad: the foundation is there, we believe in it a lot. The financial side is not for me, but there will be room."

5:31 PM - Is winning the Europa League one of the objectives? "I can say this to Benfica fans, but first I want to say that the first step is to be there. We will have an unusual pre-season, but that will never be an excuse. We have six games to play. If we are there, looking at Benfica’s stature and that of the other clubs, Benfica has to be a contender. It was not necessary to have that conversation with the president. The club’s stature demands it. We have to aspire to reach Frankfurt."

5:29 PM - You have followed the particularities of Portuguese football. Rui Costa said he had never seen so many refereeing mistakes. How will you deal with this dual role and the demands you will face as a coach and communicator? How will you handle it? "I can’t tell you how I’ll react moment by moment. As Benfica coach I will have to have emotional control, but I can’t guarantee I’ll always be brilliant. I come from a different culture, I wasn’t always perfect, and I had to pay a few fines. I’m here to defend Benfica. I’m not a fan of talking about refereeing. Over the years I’ve spoken about it more than I wanted to. If we are stronger on the pitch, it will be harder not to be victorious. I hope it stays within limits, that I’m able to bring people together. I hope I don’t make mistakes in that regard. But I can’t promise it..."

5:26 PM - What will have to happen for Benfica fans to feel that this was the right change? "I don’t need to come up with a stronger phrase than my predecessors. It’s how I feel. Benfica is about winning, that’s easy to answer. At this club it is the only way for everyone to be more united. The fans need to understand the strength they have."

5:25 PM - What gaps did you identify? Are you counting on Sudakov? "He is a Benfica player, we are counting on him. He was a major investment. You just have to look at the characteristics of my teams. He is a player we can get the best out of. This will be his moment to prove himself. I believe in him a lot. He had a difficult year. He will have all our support and confidence... Benfica’s games? I’m not going to talk about the team’s gaps and strengths. That would be giving away advantages. Even if I feel there is a weakness, I won’t say it. We have to talk about what is good, not leave things hanging that others will latch onto. We will try to hide them. I’m not going to say I watched every game; the focus was on the Premier League, but as a Portuguese person it was part of our day to get together and watch Portuguese league matches."

5:22 PM - Marco Silva followed Benfica. Do you feel the squad is worth more? "I don’t need to make comparisons. It has quality, and we are working so that we can strengthen it. We lost an important player; that is one of the positions we have to reinforce. Not being in the Champions League carries a very big weight, not only financially. That doesn’t mean Benfica won’t invest and fight for titles."

5:21 PM - When you left Portuguese football, Benfica were dominant. Now you return with Benfica in 3rd place. Is it a huge challenge to restore that dominance? Were you invited to return to Benfica earlier? "I had the opportunity to return to Portuguese football. It didn’t happen. This time I felt it was the right moment. We have to face reality. When Benfica doesn’t win, no one can talk about positivity. We have to break that; the objective is to be champions. It is important to mention that we have three opponents strong enough to make our task more difficult."

5:19 PM - Are you aware that your job could be at risk if you are not champion? "Any coach has his job at risk. When I decided to enter this career... I live with that very well. I’m level-headed enough to understand it. I signed for two years with Benfica, but my objective is to stay three years at Benfica... Financial side? It was not the main reason, otherwise I wouldn’t be here, as you know."

5:17 PM - Was there bitterness over your departure from Sporting? Is this redemption? And what about the market? "There is no bitterness, only enormous respect for the clubs I represented. Enormous respect. In every challenge I always gave my passion, as I will do at Benfica. That is not how I feel. The market? Up to a certain point it made no sense, but from the moment there was an agreement we started working on next season."

5:16 PM - Why swap the Premier League for Portugal? "I’m not going to say whether it was difficult or easy. I’ve been out of the country for 12 years. I felt good, and it took a lot to establish my name. When Benfica was mentioned, that was important to me. The emotional side carried a lot of weight. When Benfica doesn’t win, the challenge is huge. There is no reason other than the name Benfica."

5:14 PM - What makes you believe you will be successful? "If I didn’t believe it, I wouldn’t be here. I believe that I and the players are capable of adding something to make Benfica champions and competitive. We all know how difficult it is; we have teams of great quality. The objective is to be champions. Coaches of great quality have passed through here; it is not for me to comment on the reasons why things did not work, but rather to bring the confidence and positivity the fans need. That is why I am here."

5:14 PM - When did you find out about Benfica’s interest? "It’s very simple to answer. The first time he contacted me and we spoke, asking whether I was willing. Benfica was looking for a coach; when the president spoke to me, it meant I was the first choice. The invitation was clear and my answer was also clear."

5:12 PM - Is the objective to add more titles? "Without a doubt, anyone at this club has to think that way, given its greatness... always with the aim of adding something. Identity? Dominant. That will have to be the path to winning in Portugal. To be a team capable of connecting with the fans, with a very strong bond. We know the support will grow more and more if the team delivers. A positive and dominant way of playing that, in my opinion, represents Benfica."

5:10 PM - Marco Silva begins his presentation "First of all, I want to thank Benfica for the confidence shown in me and in my staff. It is a huge honor and a huge source of pride. Those are the two words I want to express. And I’ll add a third: the great responsibility that this position carries. Honor, pride, and responsibility."

5:09 PM - Rui Costa begins to speak "Thank you for being here as we make Marco Silva official. Welcome; your success will be the joy of millions of Benfica fans. It has been 79 years since Cosme Damião passed away; may this museum have more trophies next year than it has today."

5:05 PM - Marco Silva appears alongside Rui Costa, Mário Branco, and Pedro Pinto at the Cosme Damião Museum.

4:45 PM - Marco Silva signs a two-year contract, plus an optional extra year if he wins the National Championship. His release clause is 15 million euros. The coach is returning to Portugal 11 years later.

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