Latest news with #RuiCosta
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Benfica in talks with Wolfsburg for Mohamed Amoura!
The Portuguese newspaper Record reports that Benfica has set its sights on Algerian international Mohamed Amoura to strengthen its attacking lineup during this summer transfer window. Mohamed Amoura is making headlines in Record, which confirms Benfica's strong interest in the player, thanks to his technical skills and standout performances with his German club. Benfica wants to strengthen its attack with Amoura! Originally from Jijel, Amoura shone last season, netting 10 goals and providing 12 assists in 34 matches. This versatile forward has impressed head coach Bruno Lage and sporting director Rui Costa, both convinced he can make a real difference for the team. Despite Wolfsburg's hefty asking price of 40 million euros, Benfica plans to submit an official offer to finalize the deal, knowing the German club had signed the player just a year ago for only 18 million euros. According to Record, if the deal goes through, it would become the most expensive transfer in the Portuguese club's history.
Times
27-06-2025
- Business
- Times
Enzo Fernández finally looking like player Chelsea paid £106m for
The signing of Enzo Fernández was the marquee moment of Chelsea's transfer largesse under the ownership of Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital. It was the acquisition of a standout young player within a World Cup-winning team, signed for a British transfer record of £106million, and the product of an aggressive, stubborn transfer pursuit. It was a statement of intent. For the selling club, Benfica, whom Chelsea face on Saturday in the round of 16 at the Club World Cup, it was a lucrative but bruising negotiation. It was a deal that marked an extraordinary profit for the club and their president Rui Costa, who had signed him for just £10million only six months previously from River Plate. Chelsea had swept into Lisbon and paid a king's ransom. Yet there is unlikely to be much affection for Fernández at Benfica. Chelsea's ruthlessness left a bitter taste for Costa. They proposed a higher guaranteed sum, within a total agreement worth £108million, and then reneged on it in January, with Fernández left unsettled and desperate to conclude the deal. 'I cannot accept what they are doing,' the manager at the time, Roger Schmidt, said. 'To make the player crazy and then pretend they can pay the clause and later they want to negotiate. I cannot accept what they are doing.' Only João Félix's transfer to Atletico Madrid, worth £107million, has earned Benfica more money in the club's history. Yet while the deal did not draw the same level of criticism as João Neves's departure for Paris Saint-Germain last summer, there are long memories in Lisbon. Fans still remember Fernández celebrating a goal against Varzim, on January 10, by tapping the club badge and pointing to the turf, suggesting he would stay. Before the end of that month, Fernández would refuse the chance to see out the season at the club on loan — a compromise proposal by Chelsea. The deal was secured late on deadline day. Please enable cookies and other technologies to view this content. You can update your cookies preferences any time using privacy manager. 'His departure was inevitable but the way it all happened tarnished his history,' David Novo, the editor at Portuguese outlet Record, says. The events of that January add another layer of intrigue to this weekend's tie in Charlotte, North Carolina. Fernández will take to the field as one of Chelsea's most influential players. Considering his expensive outlay, it should be no surprise that 2½ years on he has a prominent standing at Stamford Bridge. But that has not been a given. It is almost a year now since Fernández filmed himself, along with his Argentina team-mates, singing a racist and homophobic chant about France players of African heritage and posted the video on Instagram. The fallout could have been severe. Wesley Fofana, Fernández's Chelsea team-mate, called the chanting 'uninhibited racism'. The Argentinian was unfollowed by the club's French players en masse. With the dressing room ruptured, a way back looked remote. There were two decisive weeks in July where Fernández saved face, apologising in public, on social media and privately. When he joined up with the squad in Atlanta, 15 days after winning the Copa America in Miami, he addressed his team-mates at the St Regis hotel and reiterated his contrition face to face. Fofana then addressed the matter with the media and was accepting. 'He did not understand when singing it,' Fofana said. 'I trust him because I know him. I know he is not racist. The act… I felt a little bit upset. But now, it is done. It is finished.' Case closed? Fifa said at the time that the matter was 'being looked into' but there has been no update on an investigation, which would be led by Conmebol, the South American football confederation. Conmebol has been approached for comment. Chelsea ended their own investigation though and moved on. But were these all empty words? Would Fernandez be able to re-establish himself? A month after the incident, he led Chelsea on the opening day of the season wearing the captain's armband. He would wear that armband 24 times in the Premier League. If the matter was still simmering in the dressing room, it did not show publicly. 'I can see his team-mates recognise him, like a reference, as a captain,' Maresca said of that decision. 'All of us make mistakes. It's important to recognise Enzo did a mistake, recognised the mistake and it's finished.' Former coach Mauricio Pochettino had suggested that, after a season of adaptation, the 2024-25 campaign would see the best of Fernández and, despite the controversy that hung over pre-season, that has proven to be the case. Revitalised by Maresca's repositioning, the Italian coach has tasked Fernández with making more box-crashing runs and becoming a goal threat. He has done that, increasing his number of touches in the opposition box from 52 to 85 year on year while contributing nine goals and 16 assists from 42 appearances this term. It is by far and away his best attacking return of his career. Now back in America, Fernández looks closer to a marquee player again, underlined by Real Madrid's interest this summer, which was put down swiftly. He faces his old club now promising to fulfil his potential, having side-stepped a shadow. Benfica, having profited from his journey, may feel the sharp edge of that on Saturday. Bank of America Stadium, CharlotteSaturday, kick-off 9pmTV DAZN
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Rui Costa blocks Real Madrid move on Benfica star
Real Madrid could still be blocked in the pursuit of a key summer transfer target on their FIFA Club World Cup return. Xabi Alonso has already confirmed his squad for the tournament for the USA tournament and the international transfer window reopens on June 16. Advertisement Alonso has already secured deals for defensive duo Dean Huijsen and Trent Alexander-Arnold for a combined total of around £60m with the pair on the flight out to Miami. However, the former midfielder is working on a third defensive target, to land after the Club World Cup, despite Benfica adding Alvaro Carreras to their travelling panel. Real Madrid confident on Carreras deal Real Madrid had previously hoped to complete a transfer deal for around €40m, but reports from Marca state they will need to pay his full €50m release clause in Lisbon. Image via Cordon Press Benfica's call to add him to their squad for the competition is a power play from Lisbon but it will not end Real Madrid's interest as they prepare for a revived effort in July. Benfica fire back on Real Madrid 'completing' Carreras swoop The situation has caused tension between the two teams and Benfica will not simply step aside. Advertisement Club president – and legendary former playmaker Rui Costa – has offered an update on the talks and rejected rumours of a deal being wrapped up. 'Carreras is going to play the Club World Cup with us and he is a Benfica player. We haven't reached any agreement with Real Madrid for him,' as per quotes from Mundo Deportivo. 'There were proposals that weren't to our liking, in Alvaro's case, and for other players.' Costa's comments double down on Benfica's view of offloading Carreras with a fresh determination indicated that the club will not accept anything less than his full exit clause to allow a release from the Estadio da Luz.
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
SL Benfica President Rui Costa Inaugurates Portuguese club's new Residential Academy in Florida
The "Eagles" have taken their world-famous player development methodology to the United States TAMPA, Fla., June 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- SL Benfica President Rui Costa officially inaugurated the club's new Residential Academy this Friday at Saint Leo University in Florida, marking a major step in the club's international expansion and long-term commitment to youth development in the United States. The event brought together members of the Benfica board, academy families, the Saint Leo University community, and guests from across the Tampa Bay area. First team players Florentino Luís, Joshua Wynder and Renato Sanches, who graduated from the academy in Lisbon, were also present. The ceremony was part of Benfica's visit to the U.S., where the club is participating in the first-ever FIFA Club World Cup. Benfica's player development training methodology is world famous with the club twice winning the award for best academy in the world at the Globe Soccer Awards and producing elite talent such as Bernardo Silva, Ruben Dias, João Neves, Gonçalo Ramos and João Felix. With this launch, Benfica becomes the third major European club to establish a residential academy in the U.S., beginning with 100 student-athletes and plans to grow to 500. Training will follow the club's training methods and will be led by Benfica-trained coaches. President Rui Costa said, "For us, Sport Lisboa e Benfica, it is a great honor to be here today, in person, to inaugurate this academy. We are known, beyond our borders, for the excellent work we do in player development, and being able to carry out this partnership with Saint Leo University, here in the United States, fills us with pride and honor, especially because this is a model we strongly believe in: where our players can combine sporting excellence with academic development," he emphasized. He added, "It's a fantastic project, a huge project, one of great scale—but scale in the Benfica way. It is the first, but it will not be the last. Above all, it is an important pillar for what we envision as the expansion of the Benfica brand, and for one of our highest priorities, as I mentioned earlier: to develop players the Benfica way." Benfica's academy footprint spans 5 continents with full academies in Portugal, USA, Egypt, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, and technical partnerships in Egypt, Dubai, India, Mauritius, Malta, Japan, Lithuania and Luxembourg and Poland alongside high-performance youth camps across the globe. Edwin Narain, chair of the St. Leo University board of trustees, said, "It is my great pleasure to welcome you to Saint Leo University, as we celebrate the official launch of a partnership between Saint Leo University and the Benfica Residential Academy," Narain said. "We are honored that the club has chosen Saint Leo University as the site of its first residential academy in the United States." View original content: SOURCE Sport Lisboa e Benfica Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
SL Benfica President Rui Costa Inaugurates Portuguese club's new Residential Academy in Florida
The "Eagles" have taken their world-famous player development methodology to the United States TAMPA, Fla., June 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- SL Benfica President Rui Costa officially inaugurated the club's new Residential Academy this Friday at Saint Leo University in Florida, marking a major step in the club's international expansion and long-term commitment to youth development in the United States. The event brought together members of the Benfica board, academy families, the Saint Leo University community, and guests from across the Tampa Bay area. First team players Florentino Luís, Joshua Wynder and Renato Sanches, who graduated from the academy in Lisbon, were also present. The ceremony was part of Benfica's visit to the U.S., where the club is participating in the first-ever FIFA Club World Cup. Benfica's player development training methodology is world famous with the club twice winning the award for best academy in the world at the Globe Soccer Awards and producing elite talent such as Bernardo Silva, Ruben Dias, João Neves, Gonçalo Ramos and João Felix. With this launch, Benfica becomes the third major European club to establish a residential academy in the U.S., beginning with 100 student-athletes and plans to grow to 500. Training will follow the club's training methods and will be led by Benfica-trained coaches. President Rui Costa said, "For us, Sport Lisboa e Benfica, it is a great honor to be here today, in person, to inaugurate this academy. We are known, beyond our borders, for the excellent work we do in player development, and being able to carry out this partnership with Saint Leo University, here in the United States, fills us with pride and honor, especially because this is a model we strongly believe in: where our players can combine sporting excellence with academic development," he emphasized. He added, "It's a fantastic project, a huge project, one of great scale—but scale in the Benfica way. It is the first, but it will not be the last. Above all, it is an important pillar for what we envision as the expansion of the Benfica brand, and for one of our highest priorities, as I mentioned earlier: to develop players the Benfica way." Benfica's academy footprint spans 5 continents with full academies in Portugal, USA, Egypt, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, and technical partnerships in Egypt, Dubai, India, Mauritius, Malta, Japan, Lithuania and Luxembourg and Poland alongside high-performance youth camps across the globe. Edwin Narain, chair of the St. Leo University board of trustees, said, "It is my great pleasure to welcome you to Saint Leo University, as we celebrate the official launch of a partnership between Saint Leo University and the Benfica Residential Academy," Narain said. "We are honored that the club has chosen Saint Leo University as the site of its first residential academy in the United States." View original content: SOURCE Sport Lisboa e Benfica
