After a poor start to the season, coach Roger Schmidt is facing his departure from Portuguese record champions Benfica Lisbon. Benfica announced on the club’s website that they had started talks with Schmidt about an immediate termination of his contract.
On Friday, the 57-year-old’s team from North Rhine-Westphalia only managed a 1-1 draw with Moreirense. The traditional club only managed one win in its first three championship games. Schmidt has been coach of the capital club since July 2022 and has a contract until June 30, 2026.
Last season, Schmidt had already failed to win a major title with the Benfica team, which was used to success. At that time, despite strong criticism from Benfica fans, the former Bundesliga coach still had the backing of President Rui Costa, who believed in the coach’s qualities. In Schmidt’s first year, Benfica won its first championship since 2019 with some inspiring football.
© dpa-infocom, dpa:240831-930-219057/1
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