Special reunion, Palhinha and Puerta: Marco Silva on Benfica v Estoril | OneFootball

he was at the press conference previewing Benfica's game next Monday against Estoril, at the Estádio da Luz, for the fourth round of the Liga Portugal Betclic - with Aursnes doubtful. Check out everything the Reds' coach said before the league clash.

Fans at the Luz for the first time in the league

"Tomorrow Benfica fans will be able to see Benfica in their stadium for the first time, which is strange to happen only in September. It was the first time it happened to a club in Portugal and we were pioneers in that regard"

Palhinha called up and the Estoril team

"You will have time later to understand where I will use Palhinha. As for Estoril, we want to come out strong from the very first minute. We expect a very well-organized opponent, as Vasco's teams always are, and with a lot of quality up front"

Reunion with the Canaries

"It is very special. I can say it is the most special opponent for me. It was where I ended my career as a player and where I started as a coach. I spent many years in that club and I know a lot of people there. In the end, that is what remains from football: the memories we create wherever we go, and tomorrow will be very special"

Rumors about Leandro Barreiro

"A move to Arabia? I do not have that information, to answer as directly as possible. I told you the market is open and everything is very clear in our minds. It is not 100 percent guaranteed that it will not happen, but I do not have that information. I have no feedback about something that is about to happen. My focus is on tomorrow's game. Barreiro has been a very important player, especially in the absence of Fredrik Aursnes, and we are very happy with him"

Interest in Puerta

"As for untouchable players, you know the reality of Portuguese football and it is difficult. What we decided was that there were players we wanted to keep, and that I as coach wanted to keep. There were players we did not want to lose, but there are release clauses. As for Puerta, I am not going down that road. You are right, I know the director in question well, but I am not going to talk about players who are not ours"

Difference between Palhinha and Enzo Barrenechea

"He was used a lot throughout Bayern's tour. Then he stopped being used in the last games, but the feedback we have is that he is doing well and trained well. When we went to Denmark, he stayed here working. You know João and you know the physical condition he has, and he has practically had no injuries. As for the two years with me, he adapted easily to the Premier League, even coming from Portugal, because it is a league that suits him. In terms of profile, he is a number 6, just like Enzo, but they have different profiles. He adds more intensity and also a more technical side, but we have to highlight the good performances Enzo has had in the last few games"

Is Benfica stronger with Palhinha?

"Benfica are always contenders regardless of the players. At this club there is no possibility of not being contenders, and one player's arrival is not going to change that. This team's history has to speak louder. The players have been working well and improving to play the way we want to play. As for the dream team, it was impossible to have everything perfect already in one transfer window. As much as we want to keep all the players or bring in another one, it is not always possible. So I am not going to get carried away and say everything is perfect. The important thing is to have a squad that gives us the conditions to be contenders"

Use of Kaminski

"How much did Lukebakio cost and how many games did he play? How much did Ríos cost and how many games did he play? I am here to make decisions. Maybe you expected me to take off Prestianni to put on Kaminski, because Prestianni has been playing a bit poorly..."

Europa League draw

"Regardless of the draw, nothing would change our objectives. We want to reach the knockout stage. We got good teams, especially from pot 1 and pot 2. Later on we will talk more about each opponent and, of course, Milan stand out as the strongest"

What has contributed to the upturn in performances?

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