Ex-player joins Benfica, thanks to Cristiano Ronaldo’s influence | OneFootball

Javi García revealed, on the day of the match between Benfica and Real Madrid, counting for the eighth and final round of the Champions League group stage, the biggest club competition in Europe and the world, that Cristiano Ronaldo convinced him to move to the "Eagles" in the 2009/2010 season.

"He had seen my name in a Portuguese newspaper and said to me: ‘Javi, are you going to Benfica?’ I took the opportunity, since he came to talk to me, to ask him what the club was like and he told me to go without thinking twice,” he confirmed in an interview with the Spanish newspaper Marca.

The former Spanish midfielder listened to CR7 and did not regret the career choice he made. "From the very first minute I set foot in Lisbon and in the stadium, I knew I was at a historic club. It was one of the best decisions I made in my life, perhaps the three best years I had in footballing terms".

"When I received the call from the club to join the coaching staff, it was one of the happiest decisions of my life. I never imagined I could return as an assistant coach. I enjoyed it to the fullest, we were lucky enough to become champions again. For me, Benfica is a club that I will always keep in my heart", said Javi, about his return to Luz in 2022 as Roger Schmidt’s assistant coach. Javi ended up leaving the club in 2024.

Javi García, as a player, represented Benfica for four seasons: 2009/2010, 2010/2011, 2011/2012, and 2012/2013. During this period, the former defensive midfielder played 132 games for the Eagles, scored 14 goals, made five assists, won a National Championship (2009/2010), and three League Cups (2009/2010, 2010/2011, and 2011/2012).

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