From summer window to winter window, from Núñez to Enzo Fernandez, Benfica made 262 million euros by selling. They are called "the first black shop in European football", and it is no joke.
The most admirable point is that after selling people, it does not compromise combat effectiveness. With 10 wins and two draws in 12 games in the Champions League this season, and a 7-1 sweep over two legs to reach the last eight, 21-year-old centre-forward Gonzalo Ramos and 19-year-old centre-back Antonio could be the next billion-dollar transfer.
01. The seller earned 262 million euros: entering the quarter-finals of the Champions League was another 72 million earnings
a. The first black shop! In one year, the seller earned 262 million euros
Speaking of the first black shop in European football, if people would have mentioned Dortmund and Porto before, then after several years of development, Benfica's name has firmly occupied the top spot.
The summer window sold Núñez to Liverpool for $84.8 million, and the winter window sold Enzo Fernandez to Chelsea for $130 million. You must know that this is not the highest, Felix is the first to leave the team in team history.
In Benfica's top 4 "boutique" sales list, Felix and Dias are both youth graduates developed by the team.
Nunes bought 34 million and left the team with 80 million euros. When Enzo Fernandez first arrived at Benfica, he spent only 18 million euros on the team, and sold 121 million euros half a year later, which is really surprising (plus the second transfer share, River Plate allocated 26 million euros).
b. Selling people does not lose combat effectiveness: the Champions League reached the quarter-finals and made 72 million euros
If other teams sell people to get 262 million euros, on the one hand, they are busy counting money, on the other hand, they have to face the misfortune of declining combat effectiveness.
On Benfica's side, the team not only leads the Portuguese Premier League standings with eight points, but also beats Club Brugge 7-1 over two legs in the round of 16 of the Champions League, advancing to the last eight for the second consecutive season.
Starting with Champions League qualifying, Benfica have played 12 Champions League games this season, with 10 wins and two draws unbeaten. In addition to drawing with Paris Saint-Germain over two legs, they even double-beat Serie A giants Juventus.
With such an outstanding record, Benfica has been able to receive 71.6 million euros in Champions League prize money and broadcast fee share from UEFA (not including ticket revenue) after stepping into the round of eight, setting a new record in team history.
At the same time, the team has a number of new stars emerging this season, and it will not be surprising and surprising to sell another 1-2 million yuan in the summer window.
02. The 21-year-old striker who can make Ronaldo play as a substitute: Who said Ramos can't wear the Golden Boot
a. Excellent confrontation + good traverse awareness
Under Benfica's 4231 system, the back Chiquinho will pull back into the position between the central defenders to play the ball, and lead the full-backs on both sides to assist.
Centre striker Gonzalo Ramos has good opposition, with Rafa and João Mario behind him dominating the attacking launch.
Ramos is characterized by his concentration and motivation in the game, especially his agility in the box.
His absolute speed is not fast, but through the advantage of physical confrontation and his own enthusiasm in running, he can always seize opportunities and mistakes of the opponent.
Rafa, who plays forward, has a strong ability to carry the ball and attack, this time he started in the middle and then split the ball to Grimaldo on the left rib.
The latter has average athletic ability and fails to outflank it. The somewhat careless Brugge player Sauvis wanted to return the pass to the goalkeeper, but was intercepted by Ramos and finished the shot.
A similar scene happened in the second half, this time with the ball coming to Benfica's left flank. Arusenis, who was positioned at the front of the wing, passed to Grimaldo on the flank.
The latter's cross was sent to the centre, and Ramos threw off a somewhat sluggish Silas to score from a penalty spot.
b. Successor Ronaldo! Replace the large range of motion + there is work under the feet
Ramos has a large range of movement on the court, but also has the physique and skill to be an arrow and bridgehead.
While contributing 2 goals and 1 assist in the Champions League knockout round, he actually conceded only 6 possessions, and had 2 steals and 1 interception defensive statistics.
The team's first goal to break the deadlock was Ramos advancing from the wing with the ball. The pass after this inside cut was beautiful, and the Rafa at the back point was precisely found.
Rafa beautifully crossed and shot into the dead corner to give Benfica a 1-0 lead.
Looking at the attack again, Ramos, who cut diagonally into the box, completed a beautiful succession of foot breaks after receiving a straight plug from Joo Mario, and scored with a final blast to allow himself to score three goals in a single game in the Champions League knockout stage.
Replacing Cristiano Ronaldo as Portugal's starting centre forward in the knockout rounds of the World Cup, the 21-year-old Ramos has attracted the attention of several giants. Leading the Portuguese Premier League goalscorer list, he is very likely to become another sky-high striker after Núñez.
03. 19-year-old Antonio: To be capped by Gervardi Olbibi
a. Strong ball ability: good ball control, straight plugs and long passes
Despite being only 19 years old, Antonio has already become a regular in the World Cup. The 1.85m tall centre-back has great speed, flexibility and physicality.
In this season's Champions League, he has a nearly 60% one-on-one success rate, which is a remarkable statistic for a young centre-back under the age of 20.
This time the goalkeeper passed the ball a bit badly and gave Antonio a knife hill.
However, he used his ability to control the ball at his feet to catch the ball directly to complete the escape, making the situation turn critical.
Looking at the attack again, Antonio's precise long pass found Bach, the right-back in the box.
In desperation, the opponent had to foul and give Benfica a free kick in front of the big penalty area line.
Antonio's ability to tackle the ball is good, which is actually important for a centre-back. With such ability, he can be the starting point for the team's attack.
Rafa continued to go straight to Joo Mario without pausing after receiving Antonio's direct plug, instantly tearing open the flank of Brugge's defense, but the following Florentino played a good chance to score.
Benfica's fifth goal, also starting with a straight ball from Antonio. Ramos flicked and Rafa continued to make the ball, bringing a fit between the two Neres.
David Neres blasted the goal to give Benfica a five-goal victory.
b. Defensive turning agility + good flexibility
As a defender, of course, you can't just watch the pass. Antonio's defensive level is also very good, and the reason why the team can win big with one steal and four saves in this game.
He is characterized by a certain degree of flexibility and agility, and at the same time has good precision on his feet, and there will be more room for future development than Dias.
This time, when Club Brugge broke through the ribs of Benfica's penalty area, Antonio, who turned quickly, completed an accurate bottom tackle and blocked the ball from the bottom line the moment the opponent wanted to cross the cross.
After all, he is only 19 years old, and there is still a lot of room for development in the future, maybe the future can be compared with Gvadi Olbi, who has a higher ceiling.
Conclusion:
Benfica is fully prepared on the road to success. They are like a high-speed processing plant, always producing new "fine goods".
The sale of Núñez also provided space for the emergence of Gonzalo Ramos, which may be the way to successfully operate the first black shop in Europe.