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Tag: Benfica

  • Club World Cup: Chelsea face fixture disruption in round of 16

    Club World Cup: Chelsea face fixture disruption in round of 16

    Chelsea are facing a logistical challenge at the Club World Cup after finishing second in their group, contrary to their original expectations.

    The issue stems from an unplanned trip to Charlotte for their last-16 tie, instead of remaining in Miami as initially presumed for the knockout rounds.

    A club source told Reuters that all travel, hotel, and training plans were made on the belief Chelsea would win Group D and stay in Miami.

    However, a 3-1 defeat by Brazil’s Flamengo, followed by a 3-0 win over Esperance Tunis in Philadelphia, left them second in the group.

    Chelsea must now face Benfica on Saturday at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, disrupting their carefully laid-out logistical arrangements.

    This detour forces last-minute changes, although the club plans to return to Miami after the game, adding more travel to an already tight schedule.

    Should Enzo Maresca’s men reach the quarter-finals, they’ll head back to Philadelphia to meet the winner between Palmeiras and Botafogo in an all-Brazilian encounter.

  • Fernandez ‘grateful to Chelsea’ as shirt number revealed

    Fernandez ‘grateful to Chelsea’ as shirt number revealed

    Enzo Fernandez is excited to finally make his move to Chelsea.

    The Argentina midfielder’s €120m switch from Benfica was formally announced by Chelsea on Wednesday afternoon.

    Fernandez said, “I am grateful to Chelsea and its ownership for doing everything they could to make me a part of this project. I’m happy and excited to join the Pride of London, to play in the best league in the world and to compete for the biggest trophies.

    “I can’t wait to play in front of our fans and help my teammates on and off the pitch.”

    Todd Boehly, Chelsea chairman, and Behdad Eghbali, co-controlling owner, said: “In Enzo we are signing a World Cup-winner and one of the brightest talents in global football. We are excited to add him to Graham’s squad and we are sure he will form an important part of our team going forward.

    “Enzo has demonstrated his ability at the very highest levels so we’re looking forward to seeing what he will do in Chelsea blue!”

    Chelsea have confirmed Fernandez will wear the No5 shirt.

  • Chelsea complete British-record transfer deal for Enzo Fernandez

    Chelsea complete British-record transfer deal for Enzo Fernandez

    Chelsea have signed midfielder Enzo Fernandez from Benfica for a British-record £106.8m.

    Documents were submitted before the transfer deadline fell.

    The deal for the Argentine surpasses the £100m Manchester City paid for Jack Grealish from Aston Villa 18 months ago.

    Fernandez completed his medical in Lisbon, though will be in London today.

    Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano reports: “Enzo Fernández, new Chelsea player! All documents are signed between the clubs with Benfica and player side on contract valid until June 2031.

    “Medical tests, done.

    “Payment in 6 installments — but £40m upfront. Boehly, Eghbalix board did it after mad 24h.”

    Chelsea are meeting Fernandez’s €120m buyout clause.

  • Benfica coach slams Chelsea on Fernandez transfer move

    Benfica coach slams Chelsea on Fernandez transfer move

    Benfica coach Roger Schmidt has slammed Chelsea over their pursuit of Enzo Fernandez.

    Chelsea and Benfica are haggling over a fee for the Argentine.

    Schmidt says the delays are sending 21-year-old Fernandez “crazy” as the player looks for clarity over his future.

    “There is a club who want our player,” said Schmidt. “They know we don’t want to sell the player. They try to get the player on their side, and they know they can only [buy] the player by paying the release clause, so it’s a very clear situation.

    “What the club is doing is disrespectful against all of us [at] Benfica, and I cannot accept what they are doing.

    “To make the player crazy and then pretend they can pay the clause and then want to [in the last money] negotiate, is not what I understand to be a good relationship between clubs who which to discuss [a transfer].”

  • Chelsea make Premier League record offer for Fernandez

    Chelsea make Premier League record offer for Fernandez

    Premier League side Chelsea have made a club-record offer for Benfica midfielder Enzo Fernandez.

    The Daily Mail says Chelsea are understood to have made a £112million offer to Benfica for Fernandez.

    Portuguese sources say the proposal is above the midfielder’s £106m buy-out clause but would be paid in three installments of £37.3m over three years.

    The format is similar to the deal constructed by Atletico Madrid to buy Joao Felix from Benfica in 2019.

    Benfica have reiterated they wish to keep Fernandez but the 21-year-old, who returned to Argentina at the weekend, is eager to make the move.

    Further negotiations will take place later today as the Portuguese side decide whether to accept the structure of Chelsea’s offer.

    The deal would make World Cup winner Fernandez the most expensive signing in Premier League history.

  • PSG Forward, Messi sets new record in the UEFA Champions League

    PSG Forward, Messi sets new record in the UEFA Champions League

    Paris Saint-Germain  Argentine forward, Lionel Messi, has set another record in the competition by being the first player ever to score against 40 different clubsides.

    Messi scored Paris Saint Germain’s first goal against Benfica in Wednesday’s UEFA champions League match, although it ended in a 1-1 draw.

    Messi opened the scoring in the first half with a trademark curling left-foot finish from the edge of the box.

    The goal meant the 35-year-old became the first player in Champions League history to score goals against 40 different opponents.

    The hosts levelled four minutes before the break, when an inviting in-swinging cross from Enzo Fernandez touched off PSG defender Danilo and into the net.

    PSG and Benfica remain level on points at the top of Group H after three matches.

    The two teams will meet again in Paris on Tuesday. Juventus sit in third on three points after they got their first win of the competition at point-less Maccabi Haifa.

  • Darwin Nunez tells family he’s joining Liverpool

    Benfica striker Darwin Nunez has told his family he’s joining Premier League side Liverpool.

    The Reds are in advanced talks to sign the Uruguay international for €100m.

    Local journalist Pedro Sepulveda has reported the Benfica striker has agreed a five-year contract to sign for Liverpool this summer.

    It has also been claimed that Manchester United are now ‘out of the race’, with Nunez joining Liverpool now ‘done’.

    The report also says that Nunez has told his family that he will join Liverpool, with the club just waiting for a ‘yes’ from Benfica for the deal.

  • Liverpool edge closer to UCL semi-final after defeating Benfica

    Liverpool edge closer to UCL semi-final after defeating Benfica

    Liverpool FC of England have edged closer to featuring in the semi-final of the UEFA champions League after defeating Benfica football club of Portugal 1-3 at the Estadio da Luz ‘
    French defender Ibrahim Konate scored his first goal for Liverpool when he headed from from a corner in the 17th minute before Sadio Mane and Luis Diaz completed the rout to put the scoreline at 3-1 beyond the reach of Benfica FC
    The Merseysiders are heading into a crucial period in their quest for an unprecedented quadruple and will now be confident of reaching the last four of Europe’s elite competition after a dominant display secured a first-leg advantage.
    Liverpool will now switch focus to Sunday’s huge top of the table Premier League clash at Manchester City. Benfica host relegation-threatened Belenenses in the Primeira Liga on Saturday.

    Meanwhile, another UEFA champions League game on the night involving EPL side Manchester City and Atletico Madrid was almost ending in a barren draw, until Phil Foden came on as a substitute and produced the moment of magic to unlock Atletico with a perfect pass through the legs of Reinildo for De Bruyne to slot past goalkeeper Jan Oblak.

    It was the decisive moment in the tightest of games but City manager Pep Guardiola’s wild celebration illustrated just how much it means to take a lead, even if slender, to Madrid for the second leg on 13 April.

    Another EPL clubside Chelsea football club will take on Spanish giant Real Madrid in another fiesty encounter tonight at the Stamford Bridge.

  • UCL: Benfica thrash Barca to heap pressure on Koeman

    UCL: Benfica thrash Barca to heap pressure on Koeman

    Benfica swept aside Barcelona to heap more pressure on boss Ronald Koeman, whose side have made their worst start to a Champions League campaign.

    Barca have lost their opening two matches for the first time, and sit bottom of Group E.

    Benfica opened the scoring inside three minutes, when Darwin Nunez cut inside and finished low into the near corner.

    Rafa Silva then clipped in a second and Nunez netted a penalty in a comfortable victory for the home side.

    Nunez also hit the post from out wide after rounding stranded Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who made a rash decision to charge out of his area.

    Luuk de Jong missed a glorious chance to level for the visitors early in the first half when presented with a seemingly open goal.

    Things got worse for Koeman and the La Liga side when Eric Garcia was sent off for a second booking with three minutes remaining.

    Defeat means Barcelona are in danger of failing to reach the knockout stage for the first time since the 2003-04 season, when they did not qualify for the Champions League.

    The last time they failed to progress from the first group stage when playing in the competition was in the 2000-01 campaign.

  • Ronald Koeman insists Benfica clash not decisive for Barca

    Ronald Koeman insists Benfica clash not decisive for Barca

    Manager Ronald Koeman insisted on Tuesday that FC Barcelona’s UEFA Champions League visit to Benfica could not be classed as decisive in the early stages of Group E.

    Barca endured a tough start to the Champions League against Bayern Munich, failing to attempt a shot on target for the first time in the competition since Opta records began in 2003/2004.

    The Catalan club are looking to avoid losing their first two matches in a European campaign for only the second time in their history.

    They have previously lost both legs of their UEFA Cup first-round tie with Porto way back in 1972/1973.

    However, Koeman was in confident mood ahead of the trip to Portugal after crushing Levante 3-0 on Sunday, while shunning claims that Wednesday’s tie was a must-win.

    “Impossible, it is the second of six, it cannot be decisive,” Koeman initially responded to reporters on Tuesday before outlining his intentions.

    “FC Barcelona always plays to win the game. Our intention is to control, have the ball and look for spaces with the players we have.

    “We expect a difficult game. I know the atmosphere that can be in the stadium and the strength that [Benfica] have at home.

    “They play at home, and they will have the environment in their favour, they will try attack to win. It is not a team that plays not to lose. And we have the same intention at home or away, to take control of the game to win.”

    Koeman remained secretive as to whether the recovering Ansu Fati, who has now been involved in 17 goals in 44 appearances across all competitions following his strike against Levante, would feature.

    Memphis Depay has scored in his past two games against Benfica in the competition.

    Now he is expected to lead the line once more, though he did not attempt a single shot on matchday one against Bayern Munich.

    Whoever Koeman selects up top, Blaugrana centre-back Ronald Araujo is backing his side to compete and challenge for titles in both the Champions League and La Liga this term.

    “We are FC Barcelona, and we have to aspire to all the titles,” Araujo told reporters.

    “We cannot go to see what happens, we have to go to win and try to win as many titles as we can.

    “It’s an important game against a great rival, but we are going to win. We come from a great game at the weekend and I think that’s the way to go. We have to go for the three points.”