Saviola on Benfica pal: never thought he'd become a manager | OneFootball

Javier Saviola has not forgotten his spell at Benfica and holds fond memories of the time he spent at the Luz. Among the former teammates with whom he built a closer relationship was Ruben Amorim, now Milan’s coach, although the former Argentine striker admits he never imagined his ex-teammate would go on to enjoy a successful careerin the dugout.

“Ruben was one of those players who was great for the dressing room. We won the Portuguese league title with Jorge Jesus’s team, a group that had tremendous chemistry on and off the pitch. Amorim was crucial: he played regularly, but above all he was always available for his teammates and tried to keep the group united,” Saviola recalled in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport.

The former Argentina international also highlighted Amorim’s concern for tactical and technical aspects, even back when he was still a player: “He often talked about tactics and technique. Honestly, I would never have imagined he would become the coach we know today. At the time, to me, he was simply Rúben, my teammate,” he confessed.

For the former Benfica striker, professionalism and the ability to put collective interests above individual ones were some of the former midfielder’s main qualities: “In my opinion, that was his greatest virtue: his professionalism and common sense for the good of the team. Some players only make themselves noticed when they are playing, whereas Rúben always tried to help,” he said.

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