Quique Sanchez Flores appointed new Benfica coach

Spaniard has “ideal profile for club” says Rui Costa

After weeks of speculation, Benfica have announced and presented Quique Sanchez Flores as their new head coach. The Spanish tactician was rumoured to be one of the the club’s foremost targets from the outset and the Eagles were extremely happy to sign the former Valencia boss on a two-year deal.

Flores himself, who has been out of work since being sensationally sacked by Valencia back in October, was excited to sign for the Portuguese giants. His first words as Benfica coach were used to thank the club for bringing him on board.

“I am very grateful to Benfica, their president (Luis Filipe Vieria) and to Rui (Costa) for the intensity, affection and desire they showed throughout the time we were in conversation.”

“They transmitted to me the drive they have for Benfica to regain the same level of success as in the past. I can guarantee that my biggest objective is to work hard with my coaching staff with the same intensity as we have done with all the previous teams that I coached, and to achieve the aims that the club have set.”

“Benfica are a historical club with big objectives, but we have to advance in a coherent manner and with the necessary patience in order to achieve maximum results. We have to be demanding, have ambition but also have patience,” said the Spaniard during his press conference.

The former Real Madrid player avoided the temptation of saying he would bring a championship in his first year with the club, preferring to state that the goal would initially be to get the club back in the Champions League.

Yebda signing likely

As for the squad, Quique admitted he was not familiar with the current crop of players, but one new face he already had in mind was Le Mans midfielder Hassan Yebda.

Benfica and Wigan Athletic are in a tug of war for the player’s signature, but with the appointment of the Spaniard as the club’s new bench boss, it now appears that the Eagles have won the race for the 24-year-old’s signature and Yebda will become Quique’s first signing as Benfica’s head coach.

“He is a player that Rui Costa has seen. He is a competitive player that had the possibilities of playing for other clubs. Because of his ability and his youth, I believe he will be a good option for Benfica. We have the possibility to integrate him into pre-season training, where we will analyse every player to exhaustion and will see which position best suits them for the upcoming season.”

Benfica’s director of football, Rui Costa, who was alongside Quique at the unveiling, was in little doubt that the Spaniard is the right man for the job.

“Quique Flores is a coach who gives me all the guarantees to create a project that will bring much happiness and success to this club. He has the ideal profile. He showed the same desire to represent Benfica as I did to contract him,” said the former Portugal international.