Paulo Lopes sends stern warning to Benfica's first-choice keeper: Patience | OneFootball

Sport Lisboa e Benfica has the future of its goalkeeping position secured, according to Paulo Lopes. The former goalkeeper has no doubt that Samuel Soares – who recently received news about his future at Luz – and André Gomes could become starters for the Eagles in the near future. In statements to the newspaper A Bola, the former Benfica player praised the youngsters trained at Seixal, in an indirect ‘warning’ to Anatoliy Trubin.

When asked about the possibility of André Gomes and Samuel Soares becoming Benfica’s starting goalkeepers soon, Paulo Lopes has no doubts: “Clearly. And the proof is that they have been and are starters for the youth national teams. Samuel has already played several times for Benfica this season, and André [Gomes] is also having a good season at Alverca.”

“It takes patience and waiting for the right moment. They have to be prepared and keep working so that when the opportunity comes, they can seize it. When you have two players with quality, it’s wonderful on every level. No matter who plays, you can rest easy, and in terms of development, they will push each other in training. I’m sure both will end up having successful careers,” added Paulo Lopes.

Benfica’s present goalkeeper is Anatoliy Trubin, but the future is open

While the future is still being shaped, the present remains in the hands of Anatoliy Trubin. The Ukrainian international maintains his status as the first-choice goalkeeper, but the words of a club figure like Paulo Lopes reinforce that the ‘shadow’ of the academy is increasingly present and ready to make the leap.

This season, wearing Benfica’s shirt, Anatoliy Trubin – valued at 28 million euros – has played 20 matches: 10 in Liga Portugal Betclic, nine in the Champions League, and one in the Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira. In the 1,800 minutes he has played, the Ukrainian international goalkeeper has conceded 12 goals.

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