One detail could complicate Marco Silva's start at Benfica | OneFootball

Benfica can finally breathe a sigh of relief. After a process that dragged on longer than expected, largely due to the early elections at Real Madrid and the resulting delay in the official announcement of José Mourinho’s departure, who said goodbye to the Eagles, Marco Silva has been confirmed as the new head coach of the Reds’ first team.

The Portuguese coach, who recently ended his spell with Fulham, signed a contract valid for two seasons, with an option for a further year, thus returning to Portuguese football after previous spells at Estoril and Sporting. The move marks the beginning of a new chapter at the Luz, at a time when preparations for next season are already underway.

The first major milestone of the Marco Silva era comes on June 25, the date on which the squad returns to the Benfica Campus to begin pre-season work. However, the new coach will find an incomplete group. Several internationals are still away with their respective national teams at the World Cup, which is taking place in North America. Among those absent will be Tomás Araújo, Amar Dedic, Richard Ríos, Fredrik Aursnes, Andreas Schjelderup and Dodi Lukebakio.

Despite only now being officially announced, Marco Silva had already been working behind the scenes with the structure led by Rui Costa on defining the strategy for 2026/27. The squad composition, priority signings and possible departures have been some of the topics under analysis, at a time when Benfica are looking to reorganize after José Mourinho’s departure for Real Madrid.

The mission is to return the Reds to the fight for the main domestic titles and re-establish the club among the leading sides in European competitions. With a short pre-season and a demanding schedule ahead, the new coach will have little time to implement his ideas, but the club’s hierarchy believes that the experience he has built up in the Premier League could be a decisive factor in the success of the new project.

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