Enzo Fernandez’s Chelsea berated Benfica president Rui Costa

Leave a Comment / By /

Benfica president Rui Costa has criticized the way Enzo Fernández’s move to Chelsea was carried out.

The manner in which the transfer of Enzo Fernández to English Premier League club Chelsea was carried out provoked a strong reaction from the president of Benfica, Rui Costa, on Thursday 2 February.

The Argentine defender sealed a record 107 million pounds transfer it to Stamford Bridge just minutes before the window suddenly closed on Tuesday, January 31. However, talking to him bwin_portugal on Twitter, Costa explained that he believed the 22-year-old would stay in Lisbon until the end of the season.

However, the player was rumored to have turned down pleas to return to training with the Eagles after winning the World Cup, opting instead to fly to Argentina instead. Media suggestions said the move was likely designed to push for a deal with England.

“Everything was done to make sure it didn’t happen. I’m sad to have lost the player, but I have a clear conscience that I did the best for Benfica,” explained Costa. “Enzo didn’t show any desire to stay at Benfica”, he continued.

Chelsea had been chasing Brighton’s Moises Caicedo, but once he hit a wall, Todd Boehly’s side quickly turned their attention to the Argentine and wasted no time in making their big offer. Roger Schmidt, the Benfica manager, previously claimed that his player would not be going anywhere in January.

It was obvious to Benfica that once Chelsea came back with a fee equal to Enzo’s full opt-out clause, the player would insist on a move to London. “We had someone break the clause. We tried to attract the player to get a salary increase, but the proposal that Enzo had from Chelsea was unfeasible for us”, lamented Costa.

Costa was clearly upset about the way the whole business went down. “From the moment Enzo realized he had the value of the clause, he was uncompromising. We insisted, but the player did not even show openness to continue at Benfica”, he pointed out.

He explained that he urged Fernandez to stay at least until the summer, but the mood changed, he said. “I proposed to Chelsea to stay until the summer for a lower selling price. The player, however, did not want to continue at Benfica. And this is where everything changed”.

The president then took the position that he didn’t want any Benfica player who didn’t want to be at his club. “A player who, even with the possibility of not losing a euro and with a secure contract with Chelsea, does not want to continue, could never stay at Benfica. This player could no longer enter the dressing room”, he insisted.

His mood darkened as it became clear that Enzo wanted to leave immediately. “I was hoping that Enzo would want to fight for the championship title with us. When I realized I didn’t want to, I didn’t want him to wear the Benfica shirt again either.”

Benfica are a true giant of European football with a long legacy of success, and Costa is obviously very proud of the club’s history. “At Benfica, and this also happens with the youth team, there are only players who are proud to wear the Benfica shirt,” he stressed.

“The commitment is not to beat the chest when it is appropriate. The commitment is what we did in Arouca”, added Costa.

Now it remains to be seen how Fernández will fare with his new club, where he will wear the N05 shirt vacated by Jorginho, who signed for Arsenal. He was voted the best young player at the World Cup in Qatar and joins a team that is currently in tenth position in the table.

Talking about it Chelsea FC website, Enzo said: “Chelsea is a great club, it’s a club that always fights for trophies and has won the Champions League in recent years. Together, we will try to achieve everything the club wants and take it to the next level.”

“Me and my family are very happy to be here in London and to be able to enjoy the city. I think it is a very beautiful city, so we will enjoy it and have a good time”, he continued.

He added: “I haven’t played against any of my new teammates yet and I haven’t had a chance to chat with any of them yet, but I know who they are and I’m really looking forward to working with them. everything!”

________________________________________________________________

Thank you for taking the time to read this article. Remember to come back and check The Euro Weekly News website for all your up to date local and international news and remember you can also follow us at Facebook i Instagram.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top