Thursday, January 2, 2003

Camacho issues Benfica quit threat


LISBON, Jan 2 (Reuters) - Former Spanish national coach Jose Antonio Camacho said on Thursday that he may not stay at Benfica beyond the end of the season if the side failed to qualify for the Champions League.


'That is very important. If Benfica aren't in Europe, then it will be much harder for me to stay,' Camacho told A Bola in an interview.


Camacho, who was Spain's World Cup coach in Japan and South Korea last year, became the once-mighty club's coach on November 30, and agreed to stay at least until the end of the season.

Twice European champions, Benfica have not qualified for European competition since the end of the 1999/2000 season, prior to which they had never failed to.

Benfica lie in second spot in the Portuguese premiership, which would earn them a place in Champions League play-offs if they are still there when the season ends.

Although Benfica are the most successful club in Portuguese history, they have not won a league title since 1994 and have since been beset by financial problems despite having the country's biggest following.

Former Benfica chairman Joao Vale e Azevedo is serving a prison sentence for embezzling club funds.

got this info from soccernet.com

so do u think that benfica will get a cl spot???

Well, Camacho was brought to Benfica to try and get us into the CL next year, so if we fail to make it then we won't want him either after this season..

We'll make it though, we still have a good chance of winning the league too!

camacho is a very good manager

i expect him to get them to the CL, phase 1 defeat.

I'm with shinji: Benfica will get the cl spot, but it'll be a hard fight between them, Sporting and maybe Guimarães.
Camacho is an excellent coach, but Benfica's problems lately have nothing to do with that spot anyway. Still, he's the man for the job. He has the will, the experience, the drive, etc.
Fortunately, that's not enough to take this year's title out of FC Porto! We're unstoppable this season! (H)

Originally posted by ffours
...phase 1 defeat.

that's a pretty bold prediction, already.

I think Benfica will get to the CL. And ffours, are you a psychic? If teams like Basel and Lokomotive Moscow can make it, whats stopping us?

BTW, INFESTA, all you Portistas have been cocky lately (Yeah, you are doing really well) but how can you say the League title is yours when we are only through half the season? Baia said that the title is not won and I've seen the FCP football quality deteriorating the past couple games. Its gonna catch up to you, maybe this season maybe not, but it will...

The league is very competitive at the moment. I won't make any predictions, like last year. Last year, I bet 2 Euros with a friend of mine (a Sporting Lisbon fan) that Benfica would be champions... and they finished 4th... so... needless to say that I bring bad fortune to my club LOL :P

So, as a "great" player already said... "Previews? Only after the end of the game..." EHEHEH


Cheers

Originally posted by calve11
BTW, INFESTA, all you Portistas have been cocky lately (Yeah, you are doing really well) but how can you say the League title is yours when we are only through half the season? Baia said that the title is not won and I've seen the FCP football quality deteriorating the past couple games. Its gonna catch up to you, maybe this season maybe not, but it will...

It's not cocky, we're playing very well and simply pointnig that fact. Geez, you should be here to witness what happens on the press when Benfica wins a game...:rolleyes: "Oh, the super team, the dream team, the best roster in the country, etc., etc."

Of course the title isn't ours yet, and Baía can only say that.

Quality deteriorating?? Varzim 0 2 FC Porto -> I thought that was a more than convincing win...

Anyway, I'm glad you changed your speech from "Its gonna catch up to you" to "Its gonna catch up to you, maybe this season maybe not". :p :)

Im just predicting.

Kind of a joke, but if u must insist. Imagine them in the group of death?

Originally posted by ffours
Im just predicting.

Kind of a joke, but if u must insist. Imagine them in the group of death?

That's what are summer signings for... LOL. the current roster is excellent, but only for the domestic competition. We need an improved squad for next season if we qualify for the Champions League. If Camacho is still here next season, I wouldn't be surprised to see players like Betis on-loan forward Alfonso or Celta's out-of-favour left back Juanfran arrive. Alfonso is unhappy with Barcelona's board and with Van Gaal, and Juanfran ends contract on June 30, I think. And to our financial situation, seeing them arrive here is very good and an honour to receive professionals of such a calibre.

Originally posted by INFESTA
Anyway, I'm glad you changed your speech from "Its gonna catch up to you" to "Its gonna catch up to you, maybe this season maybe not". :p :)


hehehehe :junior:

Originally posted by 3m1n3m
If Camacho is still here next season, I wouldn't be surprised to see players like Betis on-loan forward Alfonso or Celta's out-of-favour left back Juanfran arrive. Alfonso is unhappy with Barcelona's board and with Van Gaal, and Juanfran ends contract on June 30, I think. And to our financial situation, seeing them arrive here is very good and an honour to receive professionals of such a calibre.

That would be awesome if Alfonso came here! He's one of my fave forwards in the game, a very humble and underrated guy, imo. Kinda reminds me of the way I play. :p

Originally posted by INFESTA
That would be awesome if Alfonso came here! He's one of my fave forwards in the game, a very humble and underrated guy, imo. Kinda reminds me of the way I play. :p

I meant about Alfonso arriving AT BENFICA... :)

But even if he (or Juanfran or any other great player from Spain) arrived at Porto or Sporting, it would be an excellent way to promote our league throughout Europe, I believe...

We had danish legend Peter Schmeichel at Sporting from 1999 to 2001, Caniggia was at Benfica in 94/95, Michel Preud'homme was also at Benfica from 1994 to 1999, Figo played for Sporting in the early 90's, Bobby Robson already coached Sporting and FC Porto, Graeme Souness coach Benfica from 98 to 99, with Jupp Heynckes replacing him for 99/00... and today, well-know Nuno Gomes and Slovenia's best ever player Zlatko Zahovic are at Benfica, Portuguese super boxer (EHEH :D) João Pinto, Brazilian prolific striker Mário Jardel and youngster Vitaly Kutuzov are at Sporting, Lithuanian striker Edgaras Jankauskas, and Portuguese legends of the 90's Vítor Baía and Jorge Costa at FC Porto, highly-rated goalkeeper Ricardo is at Boavista... For a league with our (lack of) quality, we have some ****ing history! :)


Cheers