Football Season Guide

Last season was the first unsuccessful one in the past four years for Benfica. After a highly celebrated and arguably deserved ‘Tricampeonato’, Benfica failed the attempt to get the ‘Tetra’, specially thanks to a disastrous start of season, where the team seemed to have lost everything earned in the previous season. It would be on “that” version of Benfica that Rui Vitória would have wanted to build this next season. However, a last minute ‘coup’ in the transfer market, this summer, might make Rui Vitória change his plans completely. Absolute star of the team in the last seasons, Jonas, has been said to be close to leave the team. At 34, it was not expected that Jonas could last much more at top level, but it would have been much healthier for the team to have him slowly fade away while some fresh blood would be inserted on the team. Should Jonas move be confirmed, it will be the start of a new era in Benfica, but there are many players with enough talent to emerge and possibly make the team quickly forget about Jonas influence. Krovinovic (if properly recovered from long injury) and Zivkovic in the creative department; Salvio, Rafa and Cervi on the wings and the new signings Ferreyra and Castillo on the box can provide enough firepower for Benfica to keep their heights, at least in domestic competitions. At the back, Benfica seems to have moved well on market, proving to be determined to avoid last season’s mistakes when the important back trio Éderson, Nélson Semedo and Lindelof were not properly replaced. While last year Benfica thought they could be replaced with young players already in the squad, this time German Vlachodimos was brought for the goal while Argentineans Conti and Lema will reinforce an admittedly weakened backline.