Renato Sanches recalls magical times at Benfica | OneFootball

Renato Sanches has once again looked back on the days when he shone in the Benfica shirt. The 28-year-old Portuguese midfielder, currently playing for Panathinaikos on loan from PSG, shared an Instagram story referring to his first spell with the Eagles.

In the post, the Portugal international shared a post from the 'wonderkids' account, which highlights young talents from world football, recalling the year 2016 — the season in which Renato Sanches established himself at Benfica: a move to Bayern Munich for 35 million euros, which could rise to 80 million depending on objectives met.

That season was a landmark one for the Seixal academy graduate: he won the national title with Benfica, lifted Euro 2016 with the Portuguese national team, was named the tournament’s best young player and received the Golden Boy award.

After his spell in Germany, Renato Sanches’ career had its ups and, above all, downs due to injuries, with stints at Swansea, Lille, PSG, Roma, a return to Benfica in 2024/25 — where he made 21 appearances and scored one goal — and currently Panathinaikos, in Greece, where he has also recorded one goal and one assist in 21 matches.

Developed in Benfica’s youth ranks - take note of foreign interest in Prestianni - , Renato Sanches remains one of the players most cherished by the Reds’ supporters. The 2016 transfer remains a historic landmark in Portuguese football sales and in the journey of what was, at the time, one of the most promising talents of the European championship-winning generation.

Check out the post: 

View this post on Instagram A post shared by WONDERKIDS (@wonderkids)

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