Bruno Lage addresses rumours of Akturkoglu leaving Benfica | OneFootball

Benfica traveled to Turkey to face Fenerbahçe next Wednesday, August 20, in a match for the first leg of the playoff to access the regular phase of the Champions League. Bruno Lage gave the usual press conference previewing the duel and spoke about the use of Akturkoglu and the proposal on the table that the Club da Luz has.

Kerem Akturkoglu only got five minutes in the match against Nice and Bruno Lage was confronted with the underuse of the winger: "It was a sporting decision. I have to assess the moment of each player. We have a large squad. The player who took Kerem's position has been doing very well. Prestianni has also been helping the team. It's up to me to decide what's best for the team, whether playing or coming in."

"What I have to say is that Kerem finished a long season last year and started this one very well prepared. He is happy in Portugal, changed his number. All his colleagues tease him for being number 7... But the most important thing for everyone is what we can do tomorrow. We are pleased with what we are doing, but we know that it's August and there's still a long way to go", he added.

According to the press, Kerem Akturkoglu is very close to leaving Benfica and Bruno Lage commented: "I am the coach. You know there is a proposal and, until the end of the market, both Akturkoglu and any other player, can receive offers. We have to continue working to build the squad we want. But our focus, and also the player's, is to help Benfica tomorrow".

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.