In a sort of summation, Rafa spoke about all the coaches he had at Luz, but the main praise went straight to Roger Schmidt.
“I hope he stays here for many years, and I hope they appreciate him as a coach, because they have no idea who he is here. He was one of the strong reasons for me to stay at Benfica, at a time when things didn’t make sense in my head. We had a conversation after our holiday and he made me stay.” Here, I am very grateful for what he did for me, because he realized the person I am now. “Dealing with me and managing who I am, it is also important to know how to deal with people. That was very important in my journey with Benfica in the last two years, and I was able Who brought titles again after three years.”
The striker confirmed the tempting offers he had received in the recent past, especially last season, but he explained the reason for his refusal and showed his lack of interest in money.
“I’ve always been lucky to be here, not because I had to, not because someone wanted me to stay here. It was always me who decided, whether I had more money or less, it was always my decision to stay here because my family was here, I was here, I felt happy here and I think that’s the most important thing, to feel good somewhere, and if I feel good somewhere, I’ll stay, because, for me, that will always be the most important thing, it doesn’t really matter “Ah, here you will earn more, here you will earn more.” This is not what I wanted in my life.
Regarding his departure, Rafa believes that he leaves Luz with a feeling of duty accomplished, from a personal point of view, and at the right time.
The former Portugal international said: “I leave everything happy because I know I did my job and the people I leave behind are my friends and I consider them very much in my life. I have to leave and I will leave alone.” Talking about the coincidence of debuting with Arouca and finishing it. “I said this in a group of us that was doing everything well. The first match was against Arauca, in Arauca, and the farewell was against Arauca, now in our home… I think it was perfect.”
As for his achievements, Rafa wanted more, but he remembers that in football, as in life, winning is always utopia.
[Três campeonatos, três Supertaças e uma Taça de Portugal] “I would like to have more of course. I feel we could have had a different result many times, but that’s football. For me, football and life are like that. That’s not all we want, we’re not like that.” I will always win, and knowing how to be, and knowing how to lose, is also something I had to learn, and know how to deal with, because it’s not easy. People think we left here and everything is fine. “Because they made their money and now they’re going home, going on vacation, it’s not like that.”
Rafa Silva played his final match for Benfica at the Estadio da Luz, the striker scored two goals and was feted by fans and teammates. On Friday, in Vila do Conde, Rafa and Di Maria were not part of the squad.
