Fernando Duarte on a Benfica pillar: few words, but reliable | OneFootball

Marco Silva made his debut last Saturday in front of Benfica’s fans by leading the team in a friendly against Flamengo. Despite the 2-1 defeat, the new Benfica coach used the match to draw conclusions about the state of the squad and made it clear after the game that he still wants to strengthen the team.

Benfica was only 23 years old and .

"Looking back, it was an honor to coach him, because today he has established himself at the highest level. The career he has built as a coach does not surprise me. Although he was never a very expansive person, he always showed great communication skills and a deep understanding of the game," the former coach, now 65 years old and president of the Parish Council of Santa Marinha and São Pedro da Afurada, in Vila Nova de Gaia, told the newspaper 'Record'.

According to Fernando Duarte, the qualities that Marco Silva showed as a player ended up being reflected in the way he currently leads his teams. The former coach especially highlighted the professionalism and dedication he showed every day.

"Honestly, he was never someone who tried to please the coach in a self-serving way, but he always did everything that was asked of him in training and never left anything undone. I hope he stays exactly the same, with the same humility and ability to lead a group. May he make Benfica, one of the biggest clubs in the world, an even better team and have a lot of success," he concluded.

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