Mourinho forced to bench Benfica’s big-money signing | OneFootball

Richard Ríos is demanding extra attention from Benfica’s management. In this Glorioso 1904 Exclusive, our newspaper reports on the situation of the Colombian international, who is at his physical limits. As such, the Eagles’ management – with José Mourinho at the helm – want to avoid any kind of injury.

Richard Ríos arrived at Benfica this summer from Palmeiras and has been a starter in every match he has played for the Eagles so far. In total, he has already played 14 matches this season, to which two more are added with the Colombian national team, where he also usually starts.

The player had a very demanding 2024/25 season with Palmeiras and even played in the Club World Cup before joining the Eagles. After a short vacation, he returned to action, already wearing Benfica’s colors, and has barely rested in the first two months of the season, which began on July 26 for the Eagles.

Since the beginning of 2024, that is, in the last year and nine months, Richard Ríos has played a total of 120 official matches between Palmeiras, Benfica, and the national team, a very high number for a midfielder. Because of these factors, the player has caused concern among the Benfica management, who see him as an important element in the team and want to avoid possible physical problems due to accumulated fatigue.

It should be remembered that Richard Ríos joined Benfica in the summer of 2025, coming from Palmeiras, in a deal that cost around 27 million euros to the club’s coffers. The player immediately established himself as a starter in the Eagles’ midfield and has started every match so far. Wearing the sacred mantle, he has played 1,116 minutes, in which he has yet to score or assist.

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