Remarks by Roger Schmidt, coach of Benfica, to show the match with Maritimo, in Funchal, on Sunday.
Florentino: What is the secret of the performance and whether he deserves to be called up to the national team
“There is no secret. From day one I saw a very focused and motivated player, who showed a lot of quality and adapted well to our style of play. Now he is an extraordinary midfielder, with and without the ball, which is very important in this position because he is in the center of the action. He has shown high quality and the secret is the same, with good performance and excellent behavior, even playing with different players alongside him, that is, showing his ability to adapt. It’s like I always say, when the team plays as a whole it’s easier for all the players to give their best and play with confidence. Florentino is a case in point. Whether or not it’s an option for the national team is up to the coach, I can only say I really like him and see him play in that position. »
Rafa was named UEFA Champions League Player of the Week. Will he reconsider his resignation from the national team?
“Rafa gave the Man of the Match award to Gonzalo Ramos because he thought he deserved more. I think they probably deserved both, but this shows Rafa’s character really well. Regarding the choice, Rafa thinks about this step a lot, and his statement was very clear, so my opinion is that he will not change his position ».
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