Javier Saviola recalls Benfica spell, says team-mate was the best | OneFootball

Javier Saviola was one of the names that brought fans the most joy at the start of the 2010s, in a Benfica side packed with stars and coached by Jorge Jesus. Recently, the Argentine looked back on the three seasons he spent at the Luz, highlighting his friendship and camaraderie with Pablo Aimar, whom he praised highly.

"Pablo was the best teammate I had throughout my career. And I played with some truly great players. But with Pablo, one look was enough and we knew what we had to do. It was an incredible connection. After leaving River, we knew it would be difficult to find another player with whom we could understand each other so well. It is very hard to find someone with such a similar way of playing. In other teams, we tried to find a way to play together again. That chance came at Benfica, with Jorge Jesus, who immediately approved my transfer", Saviola began.

"Pablo was already there. And really, it was once again a luxury to play together again, with more experience. We were no longer as young as we were at River, when we were 17 or 19 years old. We were older by then. And we enjoyed it immensely because we won the Portuguese league. People remember that team very fondly, because it played very well. It was a privilege to play alongside Pablo again", he added, in an interview with journalist Rodrigo Rea.

"It was a finish over the goalkeeper. I remember it because it was raining heavily and it was complicated. The goalkeeper came off his line and I lifted the ball over him. It reminded me of my childhood days", recalled the former number 30, while mentioning the chipped goal against Académica de Coimbra in the 2009/10 season.

"I got to know him very well at Benfica. He was young, just a kid. He has improved tremendously since those Benfica days. He has been an inspiration and an example to follow. He always did everything in a simple and natural way. Returning to Rosario Central was a reward. We are happy that these last few years have gone so well for him", he concluded, while offering glowing praise for Ángel Di María, who once again made headlines.

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