Nélson Veríssimo opens up on Benfica's season: There are players who... | OneFootball

Nélson Veríssimo — who may be close to renewing — gave an interview in which he assessed Benfica's season. Speaking to the official television channel of the club from Luz, the Portuguese coach highlighted the players’ development, but admitted that the road ahead is still long and demanding.

"To give you an idea, 41 points were needed to secure survival, something that had only happened before in 2017/18. The youth and inexperience of the squad were, however, an even greater challenge. ‘Playing among peers is one thing; playing against men is completely different", Nélson Veríssimo began, in comments to BTV.

"Mister, they get there faster and they put their bodies in much harder…", he said, giving the example of several players who took their first steps in the Eagles’ reserve team. "Everything takes on a different meaning when you are able to compete and win", added Nélson Veríssimo, highlighting many of his players’ desire to grow.

"The match against a promotion contender helped dispel the players’ own doubts about their ability to compete at this level. Our role as coaches was to prepare them in the best possible way so that, in those areas where they were not as strong — particularly in defensive transitions, duels, and aggression — they could compete. Because once they have the ball, the talent is there", pointed out the Benfica coach.

"There are players who have grown and improved a great deal", acknowledged the coach of the reserve side. "What we felt from them was a great desire to compete. A great willingness, in difficult moments, to step up", he stressed, concluding that the much-discussed "playing the Benfica way" was always on display throughout the 34 matchdays", concluded Nélson Veríssimo.

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