Mourinho eager for more firsts at Benfica | OneFootball

The focus on youth development is still far from over. According to reports, José Mourinho has his eye on several names that have been making waves in the Benfica academy. After overseeing the debuts of some players, such as José Neto, Daniel Banjaqui, and Rodrigo Rêgo, the Special One has more protégés in mind.

According to the newspaper O Jogo, in its December 26 edition, José Mourinho, who already has credits for the debuts of Rodrigo Rêgo, Tiago Freitas, José Neto, Daniel Banjaqui, and Ivan Lima, wants to continue the work he has been doing with the youngsters, a promise he reinforced at the Christmas event he attended.

The same source explains that such a strong focus on the Eagles’ youth development hasn’t happened in exactly 10 years, since the arrival of Rui Vitória, a period that saw the emergence of some notable names, such as Renato Sanches, João Félix, Victor Lindelöf, and Rúben Dias. Now, the Special One is already thinking about launching more young talents.

O Jogo adds, in the same article, that the next “targets” could be Gonçalo Oliveira and Gonçalo Moreira, who have already been on the bench, as well as the possible call-up of players like Federico Coletta, Mauro Furtado, and Anísio Cabral, with the latter two being part of the U-17 world champion squad.

The focus on youth development is seen as a certainty during the Special One’s time at Clube da Luz. On several occasions, José Mourinho has publicly stated that Benfica has a youth academy full of talented youngsters ready to shine at the highest level. This is one of the highlights of the 62-year-old coach’s first 100 days at the helm of the Eagles.

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