Regrets? Rui Costa on Richard Ríos joining Benfica: This changes things... | OneFootball

Rui Costa maintains total confidence in Richard Ríos, even after the Colombian midfielder’s start at Benfica fell short of expectations. The club president gave an interview to SIC, due to the Eagles’ election period, and was invited to comment on the signing of the former Palmeiras player – who has not yet trained this week.

"Regret it? Not at all. He just arrived. Many times, at Benfica, we have this impatience. He is a player who came from South America, in this case from Brazil. We know that many players, when they arrive in Europe, need a few months to adapt," Rui Costa began by explaining.

The Benfica president also commented on the midfielder’s start: "Richard Ríos is still playing very much with the weight of his price tag, and this affects the player to some extent. You can’t expect Richard Ríos, just because he cost that amount, to dribble past 30 players per game or score 40 goals per season, because that’s not what is asked of Richard Ríos."

"He doesn’t have the same characteristics (as Rui Costa the player). He is a midfielder who brings balance and power to the midfield. He is not a creative, not a number 10, not a player to make the technical difference in the team," he went on, comparing himself to the current Benfica player.

Rui Costa concluded: "We know very well why we acquired Richard Ríos. When he was signed by Benfica, it was even a surprise that we managed to get a player of this caliber, given what he was doing in Brazil, with the Colombian national team, and I am fully convinced he will do the same at Benfica."

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