Bruno Lage responds to Benfica legend’s comments: It wasn’t possible | OneFootball

Bruno Lage considers it normal that Di María is happy with the arrival of José Mourinho at Benfica. In an interview with the newspaper A Bola, where he refuted Rui Costa’s version of his departure, the coach stated that the former Argentine international deserved a different farewell from the Eagles.

“We had a very good relationship. Just watch the Netflix documentary about Di María to see the importance that Mister Mourinho had in his life, both personally and professionally. He must have been the most important coach for Di María. It’s only natural that he’s happy to have him now at Benfica,” Bruno Lage began by saying.

“I remember that when we arrived at Benfica, many people said that Di María was a problem. For me, he never was. He had fantastic games, but there were moments when I had to make decisions for the good of the team that perhaps Di María didn’t like. Who likes to be left out? I made the decisions I had to make,” Bruno Lage added.

“I don’t think he deserved to say goodbye to Benfica as a substitute at Jamor. I think players like Di María deserved a different kind of farewell, at Estádio da Luz, with more than 60,000 applauding what he gave to Benfica, both in his first and second spells. But it’s fair to say that this wasn’t possible due to scheduling issues,” Bruno Lage concluded.

Wearing the Benfica shirt, Ángel Di María played 217 matches, scored 51 goals, and provided 47 assists. The former Argentine international won four trophies with the Sacred Mantle: one National Championship (2009/10), one Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira (2023), and three League Cups (2008/09, 2009/10, and 2024/25).

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