Rui Costa understands fans’ “frustration”, but asks that “criticism has limits”

The president of Benfica said this Tuesday that he understands the frustration of the fans, with whom he shares the sadness, but after the football team’s coach, Roger Schmidt, was challenged in Faro, he asks for restraint in his criticism.

“First of all, I want to say that I understand and understand perfectly the fans’ frustration at this stage of the championship, at this stage of the year, in a year in which we were aiming for much more than what we have so far, and that’s why I understand this sadness, because it is the same sadness that I have it, the players have it, the coaches have it, because we all wanted much more”, Rui Costa began by saying.

Benfica, the national champion, occupies second place in the Primeira Liga, with 73 points, seven less than the leader Sporting, with four matches left to play, with the ‘reds’ having left the Farense venue under protests from their fans, after the 3-1 victory in the Algarve.

“Above all, none of us are immune to criticism when things don’t go as we expect. And when I talk about none of us, I’m talking about all the club’s professionals are immune to criticism and, therefore, we have to respect criticism too, In the same way, I believe that, for the second time, in Faro, we exceeded the limits. It is our responsibility to finish the championship with maximum dignity”, he continued.

In that regard, Rui Costa said he assumed the responsibilities of the timewhile refusing to give up on renewing the title of champion.

“I will be here to take on all the responsibilities of the season, as I do every year, but, in these four rounds, I refuse to throw in the towel with the championship still to be played and, regardless of the classification, it is mandatory at Benfica to play four rounds with maximum dignity, that’s what we ask of professionals, that’s what I ask of the team, as it was in Faro”, he stressed.

And he insisted, calling for restraint of fans.

“We all have to be prepared for these four rounds, looking for the best of what we can do, not throwing in the towel, at least as long as it is mathematically possible, not being hypocrites and assuming that it is increasingly difficult to reach the title ( …). Therefore, the appeal I make, not that there is no criticism, of the president, the coach, the players, but that this criticism has certain limits and that, on Saturday, we can all, within. and off the field, give a good image of what Benfica is”, he concluded.

Benfica hosts Sporting de Braga, fourth placed, on Saturday, in the 31st round of the Primeira Liga, with, until the end of the championship, trips to Famalicão and Rio Ave and the reception to Arouca.

With 12 points in dispute, and needing to add two victories to secure their 20th national champion title, Sporting visits FC Porto, on Sunday, before receiving Portimonense, before visiting Estoril Praia and finishing the championship at home with Desportivo de Chaves.