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Hélder Costa, Bernardo Silva and João Cancelo are three important names in a “golden generation” of the Benfica line-up. With no space in the “red” main team, he has been imposing himself in professional football outside the gates and today he shines in the demanding Premier League. The first, this Saturday, scored two fundamental goals for Leeds United to overtake Fulham (4-3). A victory celebrated effusively by local fans who have returned to the top flight this season after a 16-year absence.
Born in Angola, 26 years ago, Hélder Costa did all his training at Benfica schools. His career at the Lisbon emblem reached its climax on January 25, 2014. 13 minutes before the end of the League Cup match, against Gil Vicente (1-0), at Estádio da Luz, he was summoned by Jorge Jesús to make his debut in the main team. Bernardo Silva also entered with him and, moments later, the coach ran out of substitutions, calling João Cancelo. It was the only time they played together in an official match for the first team.
Hélder Costa would have no more chances, eventually on loan to Deportivo da Corunna and Monaco, before being hired by Wolverhampton for 15 million euros..
Bernardo Silva, who had already lined up in the 2013-14 season, during the last 10 minutes of the Portuguese Cup match against Cinfães (October 19, 2013), added another eight minutes in the FC Porto classic for the League ( October 10 May 2014), before heading to Monaco, which would pay Benfica 15.75 million euros for the transfer. An incredibly lucrative deal, as the Monegasque team would receive approximately € 50 million for the player’s transfer to Manchester City three years later.
The Clásico Dragão for the 2013-14 season would also serve as the farewell to João Cancelo from the “red” main team, after having lined up for 62 minutes without avoiding Lisbon’s 2-1 defeat.. He would soon go to Valencia, also for a budget of around 15 million euros. The Spanish would benefit much more, with the transfer of the defender to Juventus, for 40.4 million euros, ending Manchester City paying 65 million to the Italians for the Portuguese last season.
In total, the three players together dedicated just 114 minutes to the Benfica first team: Hélder Costa, 13 ‘; Bernardo Silva, 31 ‘and João Cancelo, 70’.
This season, Leeds United spent 17.7 million euros for Hélder Costa, convinced by the player’s good performances last season, when he helped the team to the Premier League, on loan from Wolverhampton. And judging by the effectiveness of the forward this Saturday, he will be satisfied with the deal.
During this match Costa met another colleague and friend of the Benfica team: Ivan Cavaleiro, who is now in the service of Fulham and who also joined the meeting with Gil Vicente in May 2014. After leaving Benfica, the two players were together Deportivo da Corunna, Monaco and Wolverhampton, before parting ways for the 2019-20 season.
