Benfica official praises Barcelona jewel after UCL draw – ‘He’s a crack and a phenomenon’ | OneFootball

Earlier today, Barcelona found out their opponents in the Round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League and it surprisingly happened to be a team they have already locked horns with this season – Benfica.

The game between Barcelona and the Portuguese giants may well be the game of the tournament so far as it included goals from open play, bizarre finishes and penalises in abundance.

In the end, however, it was a last-gasp winner from Raphinha that got all three points for Barcelona and helped them confirm their berth in the knockouts of the UCL.

Benfica official weighs in

Benfica’s Director of International Relations Simao was at the draw earlier today and spoke to the media after his team drew Barcelona, the club where he too played for two seasons.

As part of his interview, the former Barcelona player praised Lamine Yamal for his quality but urged his players not to be intimidated by the teenage sensation.

“He’s a crack and a phenomenon but we can’t be afraid. Being afraid of fear is the worst. You have to respect him.”

“He’s doing very well. Barça are doing a great job with Lamine, not only in football,” he added.

Concurrently, Simao also weighed in on Pau Cubarsi who is doing equally impressive things at a very similar age to Yamal.

“He is the same level but because of the quality he has and the personality as a defender it is not easy.”

Elaborating on the difficulty of establishing oneself as a star defender at a young age compared to a forward, he added,

“Lamine is an attacker that we must face but Cubarsi seems to be four or five years older just like our centre-back Antonio Silva when he debuted. They both have a lot of peace of mind.”

Lamine and Barcelona will face Benfica next month. (Photo by Carlos Rodrigues/Getty Images)

The Benfica administrator then went on to speak about the game between Barcelona and his team earlier this season which ended in a last-gasp win for the Catalans against the run of play.

“The two teams were very good but we lost the game unfairly. We both have quality players and we know what we play. I don’t like to talk about the past but it was a great game.”

Simao was then asked to speak on what set Barcelona apart from other teams and why they were so powerful this season under Hansi Flick.

“Barça know very well how to keep the ball and in a quick counter they kill you and annihilate you. They have players with a lot of speed and a mix in their game that complicates it a lot.”

“It will be two games with goals because we also make an early pressure. It will be difficult and hard but we are prepared,” he added.

The ex-Barça star then moved on to speaking about La Masia which has seen a resurgence in recent years but has been churning out young talents from time immemorial.

“Already in my time young players who had the opportunity began to rise,” he began.

“We continue to bet on the quarry like Barça. They can’t demonstrate their quality if they don’t have the opportunity,” he added, comparing Benfica’s academy to Barcelona’s.

“Benfica and Barça do very well by betting on the quarry and valuing the work of the coaches,” he concluded.

Finally, Simao spoke on how it would be to return to Catalonia after all those years and how he still maintained several good relations with those in the club offices.

“It’s always special to go back to Barcelona. The emotional part is important. I still have friends and keep in touch with them, Carlos Naval, Dr. Ricard (Pruna), Deco, with whom I played in the national team, and Bojan, also a good friend.”

“I spent two years at Barça, I learned and enjoyed a lot but now it’s my turn to defend Benfica, where I also played for six years,” he concluded.

Source: Mundo Deportivo