Ex-Lenglet coach reveals detail on Benfica centre-back: At no point... | OneFootball

The arrival of Clément Lenglet at Benfica continues to generate huge excitement and, this time, it was Pablo Correa, the coach who gave the French international his first-team debut at Nancy, looking back on the early steps of one of Marco Silva’s signings for the new season, assuring that he always believed in the centre-back’s enormous potential.

“At no point did he feel the pressure of playing for the first team. He was always physically strong and very attentive to tactical matters. He grew up in a family that knew how to respect his decisions. When he was young, he already had the same maturity he has today,” he said in an interview with A BOLA, also explaining that the Frenchman was “very intelligent,” “well brought up,” and “always knew how to make the right decisions.”

The Uruguayan coach also recalled that Benfica’s new signing seemed “shy out of the respect he had for everyone”, but he quickly defied all expectations in the dressing room. The quality he showed led him to take on the captain’s armband at a very early stage of his career, before leading Nancy to the Ligue 2 title in 2015/16 and making the move to Sevilla, beginning a decade in the service of some of Europe’s biggest clubs, such as Barcelona, Tottenham, Aston Villa and Atlético Madrid.

Despite a less successful final season in Madrid, Correa believes the 31-year-old centre-back still has everything needed to succeed at the highest level. “The career he has had does not surprise me because he worked very hard to reach important teams,” he said, offering glowing praise for the professionalism and dedication Lenglet has shown since his youth days.

Now, Clément Lenglet begins a new chapter with Benfica and Marco Silva hopes to make the most of the French international’s experience, tactical intelligence and leadership ability to strengthen a defensive unit identified as a priority in this transfer window, in a signing that raises Benfica fans’ expectations for the 2026/27 season.

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