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ADVANCE
Jorge Jesus anticipated, at a press conference at the Benfica Campus, the clash against Paços de Ferreira, on matchday 9 of the Call us. The initial whistle takes place this Sunday, at 8 p.m., at Stadium of Light.
Between praise to the rival and refutations to the anti-game, the coach explained the strategy he is trying to implement through the rival, guaranteed Taarabt among those chosen and once again recognized the importance of Pizzi in the offensive maneuver of the team.
Paços de Ferreira is the team that commits the most fouls in the Liga NOS. Is Benfica ready for this?
It is a team that is in 5th position, has fewer goals conceded than Benfica [oito contra 10]. It also has in its statistics that it is the most fouled team of all those in our Championship. This is not a problem for us, but for the referee team. Paços de Ferreira has a positive game. Teams with positive ideas win more games. It will be a difficult game against a moralized adversary, who has a perfect game system before his ideas and, therefore, knowing our potential, and respecting the adversary, we obviously want to be at the highest level, in order to achieve our objectives, which are the victory and the three points.
Do you feel that this match with Paços de Ferreira will be more open or more closed?
There are two ways to analyze what is anti-gambling. The anti-game is not a team that organizes defensively in the system that its coach believes is most conducive to strategy. Having all the players behind the ball is not anti-game, it is a tactical way of looking at the game. Anti-game consists of committing 30 fouls per game, the goalkeeper falls to the ground after ten minutes, the players, whenever they lose the ball and the opponent goes to counterattack, throwing themselves to the ground to see if the opposing team throws the ball away. .. Benfica does not! That is anti-gambling! That is, they are not technical-tactical processes to demonstrate a defensive organization. This is anti-game, it is what I do not defend, it is what those who like football do not defend. The way the opponent can play, more or less defensively, is not anti-game; they are tactical strategies and game ideas that each team has and that we have to respect.
From your team’s defensive point of view, what has worked the most? Is it a game moment that worries you?
We care about every moment of the game. We have been looking for more (but not now, since I arrived) about our defensive organization. In this last game we did not concede goals. It is an important piece of information, but it is also necessary to analyze in what context it was and against whom. What we have been doing is getting the players back, there is no time to work on the moments of the game.
“Anti-gambling is something else, not having all the players behind the line”
Is Adel Taarabt ready to return to this match with Paços de Ferreira?
Adel will be called. If you give indications that you are physically well, because the COVID-19 problem is clinically over, you will be in the call for the match, yes.
Pizzi played more as second striker in his recent win over Lech Poznan [e marcou um golo e fez duas assistências]. Is it in this position that you will be able to appear in the next matches?
Pizzi is a player with more offensive than defensive characteristics. There are things that are subjective – some may think of him as more of a side aisle player, others a center aisle player. I understand that he is more of a center aisle player, but this doesn’t mean that, by strategy, he can’t play in a side aisle. We have played him in two positions in the middle for our strategies, because the opponents are not all the same. Pizzi is a player who has goals, which is a fact to add to his value. A coach who has a player with these characteristics must always look at him with a more positive quality. Pizzi, Vertonghen and Everton are players who have played many games in a row since the beginning, and we have to start looking at them in a way that does not put them on the edge of the risk of possible injury.
He has already said that Gabriel has more conditions to be a defensive midfielder, but there are also Weigl and Samaris. Are Weigl and Gabriel compatible together in their ideas for Benfica’s midfield?
You’re talking about the center aisle. They are compatible? Are! But are when, how and where compatible? They are supported in few games, not many games. The coaches are the ones who have the game ideas for their teams. When analyzing a player’s way of playing, more than anyone else, the coach knows if that idea of the game was perfect or not, because he is the one who works with the team on a daily basis. The analysis cannot be done through the individual player, because, for this, any coach knows how to look. Now, to promote training methodology, strategies and ideas, these are just a few.
“Reinforcements or supporters in the stadiums as a Christmas present? Supporters, no doubt!”
In the strategy you adopt for each game, what Do you value more in your team?
Soccer has five moments of play. There were only four, but I made them all believe they have five, and now they say they have five. If we analyze these five moments of the game from the technical-tactical point of view, the most difficult is the positional attack, nobody has any doubt. The defensive organization is one of the components of the moments of the game in which the coach has more influence. But just a good defensive organization is not enough. If you can’t get out, if you don’t have a good counterattack, you always end up losing. You can tie from zero to zero … Every moment is important, there are aspects that are more difficult than others to work on, and I have already mentioned the one that for me is the most difficult.
Darwin has six goals, five in the Europa League and only one in the Championship. What is the reason for this difference?
It has to do with the fact that the Europa League matches were more widely spaced. We started the season with the Champions League qualifying phase and right afterwards there were several championship games. He grew throughout the season and it is only natural that he scored more goals in the Europa League. Also to say that the coaches of the Portuguese Championship are more evolved tactically than those of the Europa League. They know better how to cancel Darwin and any other Benfica player.
“Pizzi is a player who has goals, which adds value”
What would you like to receive as a Christmas gift: reinforcements for the Benfica squad or for the public back in the stadiums?
If I had to choose between these two themes, I would prefer that the fans go back to the stadiums. I have no doubt about it.
Is the attack on the January transfer market ready?
All the football structures in the world (not just Benfica) are organized and ready for when the transfer windows open. That is taking steps forward, I do not mean that when the time comes, they will necessarily have to hire or fire. You are preparing for the market and are better prepared for the moment.
Are you hampered by failures in the transfer market?
You can’t always sign a player, but that’s not a failure. We have an idea of a player, he has a market value, then the value is added and sometimes it is not possible to sign, or also because the players do not want to go to the clubs that are interested in them. Failure is to hire a player for the team and he, after all, does not play as much as he thought.
Regarding the issue Lucas Veríssimo: have you spoken with President Luís Filipe Vieira about this issue?
I never felt that there was a “soap opera” with Cavani or Lucas [Veríssimo]. Soap operas are on television. All the clubs that are in the market to hire players sometimes succeed, sometimes not. Some take longer, others less. These are normal situations.
Text: João Sanches and Marco Rebelo
Photos: Tânia Paulo / SL Benfica
