This Wednesday, Benfica marked the 20th anniversary of the new Estádio da Luz, in a private ceremony, which had as its highlight the presentation of the «Mural of Champions», a giant canvas on which the 20 best red players to ever play are portrayed. the venue’s lawn.
The range of athletes was determined by a vote of the club’s fans.
Oblak, Ederson, André Almeida, Nélson Semedo, Luisão, Garay, Rúben Dias, Otamendi, Grimaldo, Rui Costa, Aimar, Simão Sabrosa, Di María, Salvio, Gaitán, Rafa and Nuno Gomes, Cardozo, Jonas and João Félix were the players selected.
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Ten of the athletes represented attended the mural presentation ceremony. In addition to Rui Costa, current president of Benfica, and Otamendi and Rafa – players from the squad under Roger Schmidt, the event was attended by André Almeida, Luisão, Simão Sabrosa, Gaitán, Nuno Gomes, Cardozo and Jonas.
«The five years I lived here were the happiest of my career, both on the field and off. When the invitation to be here came, it was a very good surprise. I thank everyone who voted and for being able to be part of these 20 great athletes. It’s a lot of happiness. I always follow Benfica, but when I come here, I miss it more. I was able to be present at yesterday’s game [terça-feira]. After stopping, I hadn’t watched a game and I miss the atmosphere of Estádio da Luz even more, which is incredible and unique», said Jonas.
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Nuno Gomes was nostalgic: «It means that time is flying by and that I’m getting old. Looks like it was yesterday. There are 20 years of good memories, because we make an effort to forget the bad ones more quickly. There are very good memories of a great stadium, which, for Benfica fans, means a lot.”
«I have many memories. I went through a lot of things here at Estádio da Luz, I scored a lot of important goals. This memory is a source of pride for me and my family. I thank the fans for all the love. This shows that I did my job well”, highlighted Óscar Cardozo.
Finally, André Almeida was proud to be represented on the Mural of Champions: «I remember my time with great pride and with beautiful feelings. They were fabulous and incredible years, spent in this stadium and outside it, with our fans. I feel privileged and very proud of this recognition.”
2023-10-25 22:19:04
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