Tavares: ex-Real Madrid star missed Benfica move as Eagles were late | OneFootball

Fernando Tavares once again pointed the finger at Benfica SAD’s sports policy in women’s football since leaving the club’s vice-presidency. In a post on the social network LinkedIn, the former executive revealed the behind-the-scenes details of the failed signing of Hayley Raso and explained the reasons why, in his view, the Australian international was prevented from moving to Luz.

According to Fernando Tavares, the deal was fully on track, but it ultimately fell through because Benfica delayed sending the contract documentation. The 31-year-old right winger has 70 caps for Australia and has built an impressive career at clubs such as Everton, Manchester City, Real Madrid and Tottenham, eventually signing for Eintracht Frankfurt.

“Although an agreement had been reached, the Benfica SAD services only sent the contract after two weeks. Faced with the delay, the player lost confidence in the process and ended up pulling out of the deal and signing for Eintracht Frankfurt. The player was with me in Lisbon, visited Seixal and liked what she saw. In signings of this kind, it is crucial to close the process at the right time. Delays can become fatal.

In the same post, Fernando Tavares also addressed the signing of Salomé Prat, pointing to her as the alternative after the failure of negotiations with Hayley Raso. The former executive recalled that Benfica ended up signing the French winger from Torreense, but lamented the way the player was managed.

“Torreense remained adamant about payment of the release clause, set at 50 thousand euros. The issue was never the signing of the athlete. The problem was her limited use and the subsequent loan. A player who is signed should be integrated, valued and developed, not quickly pushed aside".

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