Candidate defeated in the last elections, Francisco Benitez says he is disillusioned with the whole process that culminated with the departure of Jorge Jesus, pointing the finger at Rui Costa.
“The way the process was conducted is a big disappointment. This situation was highly predictable after the game with Sporting na Luz. There it was realized that the separation between Jesus and Benfica would be a matter of days. It should have happened quickly and painlessly. The opposite was done, Brazilian soap operas with Flamengo were allowed and the situation dragged on. Rui Costa should have marked a position to clarify the partners. There was a lack of consideration in letting all this happen and allowing the partners to try to guess what was going on», he said, in statements made to A BOLA.
Benitez even gave an example: “When there was speculation about the departure of Domingos Soares de Oliveira, they were quick to say that it was a lie. Here, Rui Costa only appears at the end. We understood what was going to happen and there was no quick intervention to prevent Benfica from being penalized, even in sport. Rui Costa would have to be the first to show his face, say what he thought and what was on the table. He stayed to see if a miracle would happen. As, we have seen, there are no miracles.”
«Rui Costa is afraid of words, addressed the partners with a written speech. You should take this opportunity to clarify and, above all, reassure the partners, say what you plan to do, what his strategy is, who he counts on to lead Benfica to another direction. We continued to navigate within sight, now the coach’s problem is solved, after half a dozen players, there is no strategic position, no direction. This leaves Benfica fans disillusioned and unnerved.”
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