Vítor Pinto wowed by Benfica star: a captain without an armband | OneFootball

The arrival of João Palhinha at Benfica does not merely represent reinforcement for a position that Marco Silva wants to see strengthened. For Vítor Pinto, the Portugal international can take on a much broader role within the Eagles’ dressing room, especially because of the experience, maturity, and know-how he brings. The commentator also began by addressing the importance of different types of leadership within the squad, using Fredrik Aursnes as an example of a player capable of leading without needing to raise his voice.

"Off the pitch you can have a leader like Aursnes, even a calmer leader. You do not always need those battle cries, those flamboyant situations from Otamendi, that grit, going at them, hurting them, biting them", he began by saying on the NOW channel.

The commentator believes that leadership should not be judged only by the most exuberant moments and highlighted the importance of daily work within a group. "All of that looks very nice in videos, but there are many hours during the day when leadership has to be exercised, probably in a more discreet way. Aursnes understands that role perfectly because of the maturity and intelligence he has," he explained.

It is precisely in this context that Palhinha comes in, whose relationship with Marco Silva may be one of the biggest assets of the signing: "Sometimes people talk about the coach’s extension on the pitch, and I did not really want to use that term, but perhaps, given the symbiosis between Marco Silva and João Palhinha, the chemistry between the two, I would dare say we may be looking at one of those cases", he said.

According to Vítor Pinto, the way Palhinha approached his new teammates and started building connections is a positive sign: "And seeing him already in the dressing room, the way he has already gone over to his teammates, the way he has already opened up to other teammates, already starting to create those first bonds. You never get a second chance to make a first impression. It is an excellent first step for a captain without an armband", he concluded.

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