Boto recalls Bernardo Silva no Benfica: “Many doubted being low”

José Boto, current sports director of Flamengo, already has a long connection to football and for several years he has been scouting coordinator in Benfica. It was at the service of the Club da Luz that met Bernardo Silva, today player of Real Madrid.

In an extensive interview given this Thursday to the Spanish sports newspaper AS, José Boto praised Bernardo Silva's intelligence and technical capacity, but recalled that the international for Portugal was not so consensual when he was in the formation of Benfica, in Seixal.

“Bernard Silva is one of the smartest players I have ever seen in my life. I remember when he was in Benfica. There were a lot of people who had doubts about him. Because of your stature. For being low, little one. And I remember that the president asked me to go see him in a game of sub-19, which was disputed in a synthetic field, small ", started by counting the former leader of the Club of Light.

“ And he impressed me that day. Because in the middle of that mess. He was the only one who knew. Not only control the ball, but also anticipate the game. Just see the career he's had. This demonstrates all the quality he already had. And now, almost at the end of his career, getting to Real Madrid is also a very important step for him. It didn't surprise me the career he had, because I saw him at the moment I told you. I think it surprised other people, here in Portugal, who didn’t trust him,” José Boto said.

Currently working with Leonardo Jardim in Flamengo, José Boto praised the work the Portuguese coach has done in Rio de Janeiro, drawing a comparison with the predecessor of Madeiran in office, which was Brazilian Filipe Luís.

“It’s a difference that I’ve said several times. Filipe Luís is a more authored coach. Think of a football that gives very little room for manoeuvre. A football completely different from Diego Simeone's football, for example. A very offensive football, with a lot of ball possession. And that often has difficulty adapting to the players. Leonardo Jardim is more chameleonic, adapts more to the players. Which forces players to adapt to their game style. That's the big difference. They're both great coaches. Leonardo Jardim is already at a stage in his career where he went through several clubs. He was a champion at AS Monaco, where Filipe Luís is now. And Philip Louis is in a stage of ascension. They're two great coaches. One is more adaptable and the other is more faithful to his ideas of football ", finished the Portuguese leader.