Benfica Lisbon has reached the quarterfinals of the Champions League. That also has something to do with the coach Roger Schmidt. About an engineer with vision.
At the moment of success, Roger Schmidt spoke about his employer Benfica, the fans and getting into the quarter-finals of the Champions League, but he seemed to prefer not to talk about his own role. “I’m not that important today”said Smith.
He then praised his team and the fans instead. “I have never experienced so much passion and love for football as here“, said Schmidt: “It’s a dream for everyone.”
Benfica also won the round of 16 second leg in the Champions League against Bruges on Tuesday evening (07.03.2023) 5-1 (2-0). For the coach Roger Schmidt, 55, it was the first quarterfinals in the Champions League, he had previously failed twice with Bayer Leverkusen in the round of 16.
Only two defeats in 42 competitive games
Schmidt has only been a coach in Lisbon since last summer, too short a time to give a final assessment of his work. But long enough to say: For the moment, it’s a success story with him and Benfica.
In Group H, Benfica finished top of the table undefeated, ahead of Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus Turin. And in Portugal’s first division, after 23 matchdays, the club is well ahead of pursuers FC Porto (54) with 62 points. The chances of the first championship title since 2019 are good. Benfica and Schmidt have only lost two of 42 competitive games this season – it’s an impressive record.
By early November, when Benfica hadn’t lost in their first 22 games under Schmidt and won the Champions League group, a nickname for the new coach had already caught on in Lisbon. “The Big Smith”that’s what they call him there.
Ramos, João Mário and ICE football in Lisbon
At Benfica, Schmidt has formed a team in which Julian Draxler barely played a role even before his ankle injury. The protagonists of Schmidt’s Benfica are different, the goalscorer Gonçalo Ramos of course, but also João Mário, a midfielder who used to score seldom and now with some regularity. And the defense is conducted by Nicolás Otamendi, 35, who has just become world champion with Argentina.
When Schmidt was not yet a successful coach, but a rather mediocre footballer, he studied mechanical engineering on the side and then worked as an engineer for eight years. In an interview with FIFA, Schmidt was once asked whether there were any parallels between the work of an engineer and that of a coach.
Schmidt said: “Obviously, as an engineer, I had very different responsibilities, but the idea of working on projects and working together as a team to complete those projects and get them up and running is very similar to football.”
And maybe it’s no wonder then that Benfica always play a bit like a Schmidt team, with pressing and quick transitions. ICE football, that’s what the “kicker” once called it.
Schmidt: “A great day for all of us”
Benfica hasn’t won an international title since 1962. Eusébio was the decisive man in the final of the European Cup against Real Madrid at the time, scoring twice.
With Eusébio they link the memories of their most successful time at Benfica, with coach Schmidt the hope for a successful future. And somehow also with João Mário, although he is already 30. His goal to beat Brugge 4-0 made him the first player since Eusébio to score for Benfica in five consecutive European games. That’s how you become a hero.
And anyway, now that the club is in the quarter-finals, dreaming is allowed. The draw for the quarter-finals will take place on March 17th. Of course they deserved it, Schmidt saw it after the win against Brugge. He meant his players, but maybe he meant himself. Schmidt said: “It’s a big day for all of us.”