Benfica boss Roger Schmidt on their UEFA Europa League last 16 win over Rangers
Ibrox Stadium, Glasgow, UK
Ibrox Stadium, Glasgow, UK
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SportsTranscript
00:00 Let's start.
00:02 We'll wait a little.
00:04 Can we have RTP, please?
00:08 Go ahead.
00:14 Benfica as a whole, as a group, appears heavy with no strong solutions. What do you need to achieve a stronger team?
00:26 And the second one, do you think the fans will lower the pressure and let you work in peace?
00:35 I think we played a fantastic game tonight. It was a very good football match in total. We had a very good balance in our team.
00:45 We defended very well, very well organised. We wanted to do some things better today in the last third in defending.
00:56 I think we did very well, so we controlled important spaces. It's not easy against Glasgow Rangers because they are...
01:05 Can you watch Bravos, please?
01:08 It's not easy against Glasgow Rangers. I think they play a lot of long balls and crosses.
01:14 I think in total it was a top game in defending and I think we also always find solutions in the attacking, especially in transition.
01:24 I think we had top moments in the first half. In the second half we scored the goal and then also we had moments to decide the game.
01:33 But I think the key was today that we worked very hard and were fighting as a team to have a clean sheet.
01:42 At the end, I think, if you see the two legs, Glasgow Rangers were a very strong opponent, but at the end I think we deserved to go to the quarter-final.
01:52 What does this victory and the qualification mean for the group?
01:59 You know, it's international football and Benfica is a big club with a lot of tradition and history.
02:08 To play international games, especially in a knockout stage, is very important for the club and also very important for the team.
02:18 I think our players are a good mix of very experienced players and also some very young players.
02:26 Especially the young players, of course, they can grow in a very good way in these games.
02:32 If you play today or now in the next round, in the quarter-final, if you see the teams, they will be a very strong opponent again.
02:39 So it's very important for us. That's why we are working very hard to play these games and to reach the quarter-final again.
02:47 Like last season, this season the Europa League, last season the Champions League, is very good for the players, but especially for our club.
02:55 My question is about two options in the starting eleven.
03:02 About who?
03:04 About two players.
03:06 The first player is about Florentino.
03:10 Florentino was almost an undisputed starter last season and this season he lost some spades.
03:16 Today he seemed to give an excellent response.
03:20 Can you explain his role in your squad this season?
03:25 My other question is about Tankstedt.
03:28 He was the starter, but at half-time he put Marcus Leonard.
03:33 Can you explain?
03:36 I think Florentino. We have a lot of options in this position.
03:40 With Joao Neves, with Florentino, with Orkun, with Joao Mario.
03:44 And of course sometimes the momentum is decisive.
03:47 In my opinion, Florentino is a very important player for us and also for me.
03:52 I think last season he played a lot of games of the season in a very good way.
04:01 At the end a little bit less, but it was very important to win the championship.
04:05 Also this year he's a very important player.
04:07 What I appreciate is that when he was not in the starting eleven,
04:11 at that time he showed a fantastic attitude.
04:15 He's a role model for all the other players who are not playing in the starting eleven.
04:19 Now it was time for him again to play.
04:23 He showed top performances in a row.
04:26 Also today, in my opinion, he played a fantastic game.
04:28 That is his role. He's always available, he's always sharp and he's always positive.
04:35 That's what you have to do as a professional football player.
04:38 Kasper had some problems after his injury.
04:42 Then he played some games, he was sick and now he's back.
04:47 But also Artur and Marcos did well.
04:50 In my opinion, today Marcos was tired at the end of the first half.
04:54 He played on Sunday, so of course for him it's a challenge to play in a short time on this level.
05:00 Two important matches, so that was already a little bit what I expected today.
05:05 Then in my opinion Kasper was the right choice,
05:08 because Kasper is very good in deep runs, in asking for the ball up front and also in pressing.
05:14 He can run a lot and I think he needed a little bit, but then later on he played a good game.
05:23 You spoke about Florentino and that was one of the points I would like to ask you.
05:29 In the first leg you said great things about Neves and Florentino.
05:35 Today they both were great, especially defensively.
05:38 Do you think that this is the dynamic duo that you need to balance the team, especially on the defence?
05:45 Yeah, you know it's not only the central midfield.
05:47 Of course they were top today, but in my opinion also Antonio Silva and Nico Artamendi
05:52 as centre-backs and also Frederik and Alex Ba.
05:55 I think they did very well on the sides.
05:58 For me the most important thing today was that also the attacking players worked a lot
06:05 and they supported the full-backs, they supported the central midfielders.
06:09 So we were very compact and very good connected today in total.
06:13 I think this is what you have to achieve as a team,
06:16 that you do both things together, attacking and also defending.
06:19 I think that was also what we discussed before the game,
06:23 that we want to go to the top level regarding these points and tactical topics.
06:33 I think the team showed a very good reaction.
06:36 I think the balance in the team today was important.
06:41 Tino and Joao gave us balance, but together with the other players.
06:46 Roger?
06:48 I'm Nuntravas from Parabola.
06:50 You already talked a little bit about that, but I would like you to develop a little more.
06:55 I agree that today the key was the way the team played as a block.
07:02 Maybe in the first half there were some difficulties with the transitions,
07:07 because maybe the team was really focused on being that block.
07:11 But in the second half the team was able to make the transitions better.
07:16 Do you agree with this?
07:18 I think in the first half we had top transition moments.
07:22 I think what we missed a little bit was the last two passes to do it better,
07:28 to find the better timing and also to do the right runs at the right moments.
07:33 So I think it was nothing with the block,
07:36 it was more like the decision-making in transitions,
07:39 because the moments they were there in the first half and also in the second half,
07:43 you have to also accept that sometimes Glasgow at home can put you under pressure.
07:50 So of course that is something we expect from them.
07:54 But I think what we did well is that we gave them not really clear moments
07:59 to get free shots in the box or around the box, and I think that was important.
08:04 Like you said, I think the block in total of the whole team was very strong today.
08:12 Any questions from the Scottish media?
08:14 OK, thank you.
08:16 Congratulations.
08:17 Thank you, thank you.
08:18 [BLANK_AUDIO]