Renato Sanches recalls magical times at Benfica | OneFootball

Renato Sanches has revisited the days when he shone in Benfica’s shirt. The 28-year-old Portuguese midfielder, currently playing for Panathinaikos on loan from PSG, shared an Instagram story referring to his first spell with the Eagles.

In the post, the Portugal international shared a post from the account 'wonderkids', which highlights young talents in world football, where the year 2016 is recalled — the season in which Renato Sanches established himself at Benfica and completed what was, at the time, the most expensive transfer ever in Portuguese football: a move to Bayern Munich for 35 million euros, which could rise to 80 million depending on objectives.

That season was a landmark one for the midfielder developed at Seixal: he won the national championship with Benfica, lifted Euro 2016 with the Portuguese national team, was named the tournament’s best young player, and received the Golden Boy award.

After his spell in Germany, Renato Sanches’ career had its ups and, above all, downs due to injuries, with stints at Swansea, Lille, PSG, Roma, a return to Benfica in 2024/25 — where he made 21 appearances and scored one goal — and currently Panathinaikos in Greece, where he has also recorded one goal and one assist in 21 matches.

Developed in Benfica’s youth ranks - take note of foreign interest in Prestianni - , Renato Sanches remains one of the players most beloved by Benfica supporters. The 2016 transfer remains a historic milestone in Portuguese football sales and in the path of what was, at the time, one of the most promising talents of the European champion generation.

Check out the post: 

See this post on Instagram

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