J. Pereira disappointed with Benfica player: thought he'd make an impact | OneFootball

Jakub Kaminski was one of the standout players to come through the Lech Poznan academy when Joel Pereira arrived at the Polish club in 2021/22, and the Portuguese full-back does not hide his surprise at the Benfica player’s current situation.

"I thought he would have had a more immediate impact at Benfica, because he has the quality for that, but he faces strong competition from Prestianni and Schjelderup. I believe he was signed to fill the possible departure of Schjelderup, which ultimately did not happen, making it harder for him to establish himself," he explained in an interview with newspaper A BOLA.

The defender, who came through Benfica’s academy, recalled the days when Kaminski was an exciting prospect in his country. "When I arrived, he was the biggest talent in Lech’s academy. I was very surprised by his quality and professionalism. There was a rule requiring the use of two young Polish players, so he knew he was always going to play, but even so, he was 100% professional and made the difference in our team at just 18 or 19 years old," he said.

Joel Pereira also spoke about the reunion with Benfica in the Europa League, as Lech Poznan will travel to the Cathedral on November 5. "It’s going to be very interesting. I had been expecting this for a few years now. Not many Portuguese teams have taken part in the Conference League, so I never had that opportunity. This year, in the Europa League, it will be special to play against Benfica away and also face Torreense at home. I’ve already warned the team that these will not be easy matches," he said.

Despite the anticipation surrounding the European clash, the Portuguese player guarantees that Glorioso is not yet the main topic inside the Polish dressing room. "At the moment, we are not talking about Benfica because there are still many important matches to play in the league and in the Europa League itself. It is a game that creates excitement. I think only our striker, Ishak, took part in the previous meetings between Lech and Benfica (2020/21)," he concluded.

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