Tiago Gouveia surprises over Roger Schmidt at Benfica: never again... | OneFootball

Looking back on his time at Benfica, Tiago Gouveia could not forget Roger Schmidt, in a positive way. In a recent interview, the former Benfica player highlighted the impact of the German coach when he was still in charge of the Eagles, while also mentioning Bruno Lage and even Luís Tralhão, now the coach of Torreense.

"I never spoke to him again, but he was a coach who was an absolute sweetheart of a person. He had a fantastic relationship with all the players. He was an open person, who liked to talk and who genuinely cared about us. Coaches like Roger Schmidt are needed in football because of the personal side and the connection they create with the players", he began by telling Record newspaper.

Tiago Gouveia did not hold back in his praise: "One of the things that marked me the most was when he arrived. He did two pre-seasons with me at Benfica and, in both, he spoke individually with each player before we started to understand our intentions. That shows tremendous openness, sincerity and honesty, as well as a comfort with the player, which is something fundamental".

When asked whether he enjoyed working with Bruno Lage - whose 'ghost still lingers' at the Luz - , the former Benfica player answered clearly: "Yes, Bruno Lage was a very strategic coach. He placed enormous focus on preparation according to the opponent, something I value a lot. With the technical quality Benfica have, if the game is tactically well prepared, the team will always be closer to winning".

Now playing in the same league as João Neves, Tiago Gouveia is just one more person who always knew about the former Benfica midfielder's qualities: "It does not surprise me at all. I know that much of what a player is professionally is a reflection of what he is like as a person. João is a kind person, a great friend, and he brings that way of being into the dressing room and onto the pitch".

In conclusion, Tiago Gouveia revealed the coach who left the biggest mark on him: "Coach Luís Tralhão, who took Torreense to the Cup final, had a historic run. He was the one who, in a way, decided my life within the club. At the time, I was 17 and internally I was not seen as a player with potential for the first team. From that moment on, they started looking at me differently. I owe him a lot of what I am today.

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