«Benfica’s first memories are eight people in one room» :: zerozero.pt

My left foot. Ricardo Mangas treats it as you, an everyday tool, a precision piece of work. The Algarve-born, Olhão-born chess player reviews match after match. A rare talent, honed by the maturity that his 25 years have given him, many goals and performances at the highest level. One of the greatest Portuguese figures in Liga Bwin.

The elevator door opens and Mangas’ relaxed look tells us what’s coming. The conversation is made of smiles, the posture is relaxed, and just as easy as it appears on the pitch. Dividing his days between the fields of Bessa and the gymnasium, Ricardo is a tireless worker who does not compromise his “professional ethics”. Beyond the black and white gates there are other lives and other passions, fashion and photography, he admits, Zero Zero.

“Here the request is different,” even before the first question, he was already used to dealing with the passion of the Porto fans. After his Ligue 1 experience with Bordeaux, Mangas is determined to put Boavista at the top of the table. “This current twelfth rank tastes a little off.”

a The second part From the interview goes through the days in Olhão and Nazaré, where Ricardo started in football. But people still talk about his Benfica years and youth teams and the year he played in France.

Zero Zero: Let’s go test zero zero. Do you know which football player has been with you more than once in official matches?

Ricardo Mangas: Do you play for Boavista?

zz: He plays for Boavista.

MRI: That’s how it is Bruno Lourenco (He laughed).

zz: Not at all. There are 110 matches between Benfica, Aves, Boavista and youth teams.

MRI: We’ve known each other for 12 years, so it makes sense (laughs). We have lived together, have known each other for a long time and he is a great friend. It is comforting to know that there is someone in the locker room who will help me if I need them. And he knows he can count on me, too.

zz: Are Ricciardo and Bruno’s features very different?

MRI: We are a little different, he is more discreet and I am more friendly. We have similar jobs, there was a year I was in Mirandela and he was in Montalegre, so we were close (laughs). Who’s next on that list?

zz: Zidane Bangaki and Jose Varela.

MRI: Very cool to find out.

zz: He was born in Olhao. Introduce us and tell us about your family.

MRI: My mother is from Lisbon and her name is Ana, and my father is from Olhao of Angolan descent and his name is… My father will kill me if I say his name (laughs). Well, it’s called Gormesilo. My sister’s name is Erica.

zz: What do your parents do?

MRI: My father was a goalkeeper for the Nazarenes until he was 18 years old. My mom and sister are not at all interested in football, they have their own club (laughs). My parents worked at Intermarche. My dad was a warehouse manager and I think my mom was a cashier…or in a warehouse, I’m not sure.

zz: Did everything go well at school?

MRI: I was a good student until seventh grade. Then it got complicated, when I was already at Benfica. I was very attached to my parents and faced difficulties when I left home to live in Seixal.

zz: After you were turned off you said football didn’t start at Olhão.

MRI: It began in Nazareth and the Nazarenes. My maternal grandmother lived there and my parents moved there when I was six or seven. At that time I said “Dad, I want to start playing football”. I was never called (laughs). After two years I went back to Olhão and told my dad to try again. You are registered with Marítimo Olhanense. After a while, I went to Benfica’s training and education center in the Algarve. And from there I hopped on to Seixal’s gym.

zz: How old were you when you left home?

MRI: I was 11 or 12 years old. 11 to 12, if I’m not mistaken.

zz: How did your parents react?

MRI: My parents made me not want to go. But the fact that they forced me was important and made me who I am today. The train only passes once and you’ve found it just in time.

zz: What is the first memory of your arrival at Benfica?

MRI: Eight people sleep in one room. It was strange. It was the dorms. I even agreed, because I was away from family and the more we were together, the less I missed him. And I remember having to adjust to the new school, the training sessions are different, the transition to 11-man football, everything happens very quickly. But it served me well.

zz: Who are the good villains in Benfica’s teams?

MRI: I was a bastard (laughs). Who accompanied me in the most daring pranks was Jorginho [agora lateral esquerdo do SC Covilhã]. Jorginho and I were the most worried.

zz: And was there any coach in the squad who singled you out in a special way?

MRI: a Louis NascimentoBruno Laghi’s brother. He is an exceptional person with great knowledge of football, an incredible person who is always ready to help. I will forever thank you.

zz: Do you keep in touch with Louis?

MRI: I don’t keep in touch but if I see him on the street I will give him a big hug.

zz: You’ve been capped several times in the Sub-15, Sub-16, and Sub-17 teams, but you haven’t been to the national teams in a while.

MRI: I haven’t been there in a while. I admit I was sad not to go to the U21 European Championships in 2021. But it’s options. Having this symbol on your chest is different. I am young and I have the conditions to represent the national team and reach this level.

zz: You had a long connection with Benfica. Have you signed a professional contract?

MRI: twice. I have signed and renewed this contract.

zz: You went beyond the Under-19s, but you never played for a B team.

MRI: No, we had a meeting at the time and decided it was best to leave. I wasn’t going to feel good about myself, because I would stay in the B team and be a substitute. The competition was very tough and I chose to participate.

zz: Do you have an adventurous spirit and pursue your dreams?

MRI: Yes, it was good to go to Avis, to go to Mirandela, to find out how the other realities work.

zz: In these less obvious destinations, like Vila das Aves and Mirandela, are there any good stories left to tell your friends?

MRI: It’s the shock of difference. I didn’t know where Mirandela was, which had a soccer club, and going there made me realize. Show me that football is not a bed of roses, force me to fight.

zz: And the weather in winter is not nice.

MRI: Very hot in the summer and very cold in the winter. I lived in a hotel, dividing my days between training, the gym, and where I slept.

@Kapta+

zz: Bordeaux has nothing to do with the reality of Trás-os-Montes. What do you think of the Ligue 1 experience?

MRI: It was always worth it, even if only because of the experience of being outside Portugal. Ligue 1 is completely different. Competitive level and mentality. I think in Portugal there are a lot of clubs that don’t even bother to play. “Ah, I go there, I try to score and that’s it.” In France, you always look your opponent in the eye of winning. And playing against PSG, Rennes, Lens and Lille, the players are of higher quality, and the stands have more people. The situation is different here, I wouldn’t say worse.

zz: Purdue finally came down. We are talking about one of the largest French clubs. How hard is it to deal with?

MRI: It’s a really big club, in Ligue 2 they fill the field [42 mil pessoas]. It’s a huge club within the French reality, it was a huge disappointment.

zz: It was loaned out by Boavista, with an option to buy. Are you planning to go back to Pisa?

MRI: Football is always an unknown quantity, it depends on a lot of things.

zz: The match against Paris Saint-Germain was balanced.

MRI: They won 3-2 at our home. Messi didn’t play, but Neymar and Mbappe did. I remember Neymar touching the ball three or four times Score two goals. The quality is different and for the opponent it’s frustrating to see that (laughs).

zz: Since you both speak Portuguese, was there any private conversation with Neymar?

MRI: No, no, just those butterflies in your stomach before the game starts.

zz: Julian Draxler was also in that game.

MRI: Here in Portugal, we haven’t seen the real Draxler. He is very talented, and he is a playmaker for the German national team.

zz: What do you see in the next few years of your career?

MRI: Well, first of all I’m very focused here on Boavista. Give your all for this great club in every game. The rest… let’s wait, whoever comes – and if he does – he will come. The club and I will decide together what is best for both sides. If I continue to work at Boavista, I will remain as focused and motivated as always. This checkered logo is very special. The fans can trust us and we will do a great job for Boavista over the past nine years.