26.01.2026 09:41
Rafa Silva, who transferred from Beşiktaş to Benfica, made his debut with his new team. In the 19th week of the Portuguese Premier League, Silva came on in the 73rd minute against Estrela. As he stepped onto the field, he received both applause and boos from the stands. Benfica's head coach Jose Mourinho, after the match, addressed Silva's role in the team, emphasizing that the player returned to help the team.
Rafa Silva, who returned from Beşiktaş to Benfica, faced applause and booing from the stands as soon as he entered the game against Estrela.
TENSION IN THE VERY FIRST MATCH
Benfica defeated Estrela 4-0 at home in the 19th week of the Portuguese Premier League. Rafa Silva, who was added to the squad from Beşiktaş, wore the jersey of his new team for the first time.
ENTERED THE FIELD IN THE 73RD MINUTE
The Portuguese player, who started the match on the bench, was included in the game in the 73rd minute, replacing Fredrik Aursnes. Rafa Silva returned to the field with the Benfica jersey after 1 year and 8 months.
APPLAUSE AND BOOING TOGETHER
Rafa Silva, who transferred to Beşiktaş for free and received fan backlash due to the payment required for his return to Benfica, received applause from a large portion of the stands as soon as he stepped onto the field. However, it was also noteworthy that some fans in the stadium reacted with booing and whistling.
MOURINHO'S STATEMENT ON RAFA SILVA
Benfica's head coach Jose Mourinho addressed Rafa Silva's role in the team in a statement after the match. Mourinho said, "He won't play as a center-back or defensive midfielder. But he will play wherever there is a need. He is a special and top-level player. If he can't play as a number 10, he will play as a number 9, and if not, he will take on roles on the wings. He is here to help us."
"PLAY AND BE HAPPY" MESSAGE
Mourinho also shared the speech he made when bringing Rafa Silva into the game, saying, "I told him 'play and be happy' when he entered the game. He is not at his best level yet; there is a lack of tempo."
BEŞİKTAŞ DETAIL
The experienced coach reminded that Rafa Silva has been working individually at Beşiktaş for a while, stating, "He will have a week to work with the team. He played 20 minutes today; he may get more time in the upcoming match against Tondela."