The flight home to Düsseldorf on Saturday evening was already booked because of the international break, but now it has become the final departure for Roger Schmidt from Lisbon. Benfica have parted company with their German coach after the 1-1 draw at Moreirense
The quick exit after just four matchdays comes as a surprise on the one hand, but on the other had been on the cards for almost twelve months. After an outstanding debut season in 2022/23 with the league title and a run to the quarter-finals of the Champions League, Roger Schmidt had won the prestigious Portuguese Super Cup against FC Porto with the Eagles at the start of the pre-season, but months of chasing behind city neighbors Sporting, which ultimately ended in second place in the championship, had angered parts of the ultras scene and poisoned the mood. A piquant fact: at the end of last season, the 57-year-old was also a candidate for the German record champions FC Bayern, but after a long exchange with president Rui Costa, he committed himself to Benfica and their common goals.
Schmidt not only set the bar high in the Portuguese capital by winning the title, but the club also generated huge transfer sums under his leadership: During and after their first season together, Benfica sold Enzo Fernandes, who blossomed under the ex-Leverkusen man, to Chelsea FC for around 120 million and striker Gonzalo Ramos to PSG for 65 million. This summer, Joao Neves followed for 60 million to Paris and David Neres for 30 million to SSC Napoli.
However, Benfica’s standards did not drop. Emotions were already running high after the opening defeat at FC Famalicao and Costa felt compelled to make a statement on X: “It is completely wrong that Benfica are looking for a new coach after the first matchday of the championship.” The confession was followed by two home wins and the late point on Friday evening, which Marcos Leandro secured with a penalty in the seventh minute of stoppage time. It was not enough for Schmidt: after the championship, Super Cup and runners-up spot, he has been out since Saturday despite having a contract until 2026.