No tags yet.
“When you wake up as a Benfica coach, you face your day with a smile on your face” the reply of Benfica coach Renato Paiva to a simple greeting provides an immediate indication of what it feels like to represent one of the world’s greatest football clubs. Portuguese giants Benfica are renowned across the globe for their production of top young talent, it is a fundamental part of the clubs structure and a tag they are immensely proud of.
Listening to Paiva you begin to get an idea of the intricate work that takes place inside the Caixa Futebol Campus, a true football factory. From the “360S simulator” to the individual development programs, no stone is left unturned when it comes to helping develop the next generation of talent.
It soon becomes clear that Paiva and his fellow coaches relish the challenge and responsibility they are assigned. From top to bottom, Benfica demands the best from those associated with the club. The demand that’s thrust onto coaches is also placed on the players and it helps to create an intense and inspiring learning environment. There is an unwavering belief in what they do, the process is continually improved, mastered over time, providing the coaches with a successful blueprint to guide them.
Benfica are drenched in history, rich in traditions, distinctive in culture and unique with their philosophy. With multiple years’ experience at the Lisbon based side, it is important to Benfica that those people working with their youths possess a deep connection to the club and are ingrained within it. A relationship that has been built over time, this longevity creates a special chemistry and spirit amongst the staff which goes beyond the pitch. All of this knowledge is immediately passed onto their young players so they can recognise the size of the opportunity they have been afforded and can truly come to understand what representing Benfica stands for.
The academy is an institute in life skills for these young professionals, beyond the technical excellence and football intelligence there is a human element to their growth which carries equal importance. Respect, humility and a winning mentality are just a snippet of the traits worked on with a special emphasis placed on academic standards. As coach Paiva explained, there is one characteristic that is significant for life, communication.
“Before you face a player, you face a person”.
Communication is key to working with people, building friendships and above all understanding different personalities. The ability to adapt to individual characters and find out what motivates them, how they learn and the support they require could make all the difference in their football careers. Talking is an art, delivering a clear message so that it can be absorbed and interpreted by the listener is priceless in youth coaching. Listening to Benfica’s coaches it is apparent that they recognise how powerful communication can be, the weight that their words hold and what the consequences could be if they fail to get it right.
“Any player who plays for Benfica needs to be focused on our culture”. Benfica U23 coach João Tralhão underlines the value of players immersing themselves in the historic culture and innovative philosophy of Benfica, those principles underpin everything the club stands for. The education begins for player’s the moment they step in the Caixa Futebol Campus. Regardless of if you are a freshly transferred first-team signing from abroad or the latest academy recruit, the message remains the same.
João Tralhão and the coaches spoke proudly of their culture. It is what links every player and all the staff, it makes the whole operation seamless. Ultimately, this joined up way of thinking and working is what helps Benfica continually generate top talents. It is unrepeatable, a one-off and what makes Benfica stand out from the crowd.
The U23’s or “Equipa B” represents a crucial moment along the pathway for the jogadores de Benfica. Progressing this far is an achievement but it is just the beginning. Those that arrive at this point have often been specially identified long before this time and have been treated with particular attention to ensure they maximise their potential.
Those involved are within touching distance of the first team, the competition for players is fierce and it opens up a number of opportunities. Exposure to the elite level is what these players have been working for and Benfica B provides the ideal stage to showcase their ability. It is not just the eyes of João Tralhão or first team manager Rui Vitória watching over them, Europe’s biggest clubs are circling and ready to try tempt Benfica’s next superstar away from the club.
Bernardo Silva, João Cancelo, Renato Sanches, Nélson Semedo and Gonçalo Guedes are instantly recognisable names in the football world. Within the last three years, these players have gone from Benfica B, onto the first team before making a big money transfer away. Those aforementioned players are just a small sample of those that have spent time refining their game in the B team. Amongst the current crop of players in senior team Bruno Varela, Rúben Dias, Yuri Ribeiro, João Félix and Gedson Fernandes have recently been promoted after a stretch in LigaPro with the U23’s. In the latest squad of the likes of João “Jota” Filipe and Umaro Embaló are already making a name for themselves.
The second tier of Portuguese football, LigaPro is a challenging environment for those young players and one which calls on them to use all of their football education in order to pass a tough test. This is where the clubs “develop to win” motto is further put into practice. While the primary objective is to develop the technical, tactical, physical and psychological aspect of the players, a winning mentality must be maintained and a desire to win shown throughout their development.
The introduction of B teams into Portuguese football for the 2012-2013 season was perfect for a club like Benfica. The strict regulations implemented by Liga Portuguesa de Futebol Profissional exposes the latest batch of professionals to the intense and unforgiving world of men’s football. Each B team must have a squad with a minimum of ten players formed at the club's academy and with an age between 15 and 21 years, and a maximum of three players above 23 years old. Just over half of the current squad are made up of academy graduates with the starting line-up often containing an average age of under 21.
The remainder of the team is made up of gifted players from abroad. These players have been carefully identified by Benfica’s extensive global scouting network and offered an exclusive opportunity to continue their journey by experiencing the Benfica way. Former Arsenal and current England U20 player Chris Willock is just one example of a recent recruit to the B team.
As recently as the 2016-2017 season Benfica B recorded their highest ever finish in LigaPro when finishing the campaign in 4th place. In a short space of time, the club has proven that their future stars already possess the attributes and winning mentality needed to compete in the ruthless Portuguese second division. It is the ideal preparation for the future.
In Portugal football is part of the heritage, children are “born with the ball” and in Sport Lisboa e Benfica the nation has a football club that encapsulates that wonderfully. The heartbeat of the club is the academy. Year in year out Benfica strives to nurture their own, ensuring they are given the best chance to make it in the game. The task is to raise good humans, turning them into excellent professionals and give the fans a homemade hero they can adore, one which can help maintain the clubs competitive edge and ensure they continue to win trophies. A local hero, that becomes a national emblem and a worldwide phenomenon, that is the capability of the world’s greatest academy, that is Benfica.
Thanks to Pasha Hajian and the rest of the GolBezan team for travelling to Benfica on our behalf. Audio versions of the interviews will be available on their website, SoundCloud and Twitter.