The last decade has brought Benfica fans a handful of mixed emotions. From pure excitement to complete disbelief, the Lisbon club has been involved in some of the most thrilling matches, just as they have been on the end of some very disappointing results.
Leading up to the last month of their 2012/13 campaign, one would have thought that the Águias were heading for a historic finish. They were within reaching distance of the finish line, only to have tripped on their own feet, forcing them to watch their rivals cross the line before them.
As if that was not enough heartache, failing to finish things off in the Europa League Final and the Taça de Portugal Final left Jorge Jesus' side asking questions of themselves and their manager.
Now that the dust has settled and fans have put last season behind them, or at least some have, Jorge Jesus and his squad can now focus on what will be a very important season coming up. From the Estádio da Luz hosting the Champions League Final, to the Lisbon side needing a Portuguese League Title to save Jorge Jesus' job, the 2013/14 campaign promises to be full of excitement.
Will Jorge Jesus Be Able To Handle The Pressure
At the age of 58, soon to be 59 later this month, Jorge Jesus will head into a new season knowing that failure to win the Portuguese Title will almost certainly cost him his job. After letting the title slip away in the final minutes against Porto last season, majority of the Benfica fan base wanted Jesus gone.
To the frustration of some, the Amadora native ended up signing a two year contract extension in June. It has come to the point where it is now or never for the former Braga manager.
With all the blame being put on Jesus for Benfica coming up short last season, he opts to look at things from a different perspective. He believes that in order to have a chance to win titles, you need to make it to the deciding game, which is what Benfica did, but unfortunately they came up short. At the end of the day, is coming second all that exciting?
I think that we can all agree that excluding the Europa League Final, Benfica was very favored to take the League Title and the Taça de Portugal, but as we know, that did not happen. Whose fault is that? There are a lot of different reasons, but as always, the manager is almost always going to have to take the blame.
After signing a number of new players in the last month, Benfica is once again favored to make a very serious attempt at claiming the Portuguese Title, four years later. Knowing that the pressure is on, a slow start to the campaign could really derail Jorge Jesus' approach to the new season, giving his doubters more of a reason to criticize him.
Who Will Be Missing Next Season
It is never fun losing key players in the squad, but what is even worst is not being able to find a proper replacement. For Benfica, that looked to be the issue after they sold Javi Garcia and Axel Witsel late in the transfer window last season, but fortunately they had options that not many would have believed in.
Nemanja Matic was unheard of when Benfica shipped David Luiz to Stamford Bridge. Benfica and Chelsea fans looked at it as just a player to be part of the deal, who will likely not pan out. Boy were all of those fans wrong, including myself.
The Serbian midfielder not only filled a void that Javi Garcia left behind, but some would argue that he did better than the Manchester City midfielder. In Matic, Benfica has a strong midfielder who can occupy the whole pitch, giving you an additional offensive option when needed. If he does not need to attack, he can be found dominating the midfield and helping Benfica come out playing from the back with all the calmness and patience in the world.
He went from being unknown, to one of the most talked about players in the world. His departure from Benfica would hurt them dearly not just because of how good he is, but replacing a player like him would be very hard.
Another question mark in the Benfica squad is leading goalscorer Oscar Cardozo. The Paraguay international got into a heated discussion with Jorge Jesus after they lost to V. Guimarães at the Estádio Nacional for the Taça de Portugal Final. Cameras captured Cardozo shoving Jesus, questioning his decision to play Andre Almeida. Since then, things have been very unsettling for the Benfica striker.
Reports had initially said that he was on his way out, with Fenerbahce a possible destination, but here we are in July and he still remains a Benfica player, and he is set to return to the club on Sunday.
Selling Cardozo would be a positive moment for some of his critics, but looking at it from a neutral perspective, this guy has really helped Benfica rebuild their reputation over the years. He may not be the fastest or the most creative, but he normally finds a way to put the ball in the back of the net.
If he leaves, Jorge Jesus may get his wish, but he could be losing a key piece to a puzzle that must be completed this coming season, if he wants to remain employed by Sport Lisboa e Benfica.
