Following Benfica president João Noronha Lopes’ confirmation that he has a contract waiting for Bernardo Silva, the player’s possible return to Benfica has continued to dominate discussion in Portugal.
On CNN, commentators Nuno Farinha and Diogo Luís gave their views, with both raising questions about how realistic the scenario really is.
Diogo Luís questioned the way João Noronha Lopes presented his electoral promise.
“He has a contract waiting for Bernardo? Everyone else has!”, he said, referring to the other candidates.“The door at Benfica will always be open for Bernardo, whoever the president is. He has already said he would like to return at some point, but he has also said he would like to play in Spain… Now it is up to Bernardo to respond to this,” he explained.
For Diogo Luís, the candidate’s approach risks creating unnecessary complications.
“I think João Noronha Lopes has put Bernardo in a complicated situation. Now he is going to be part of the election campaign. Even if he says nothing, he will be associated with what Noronha said. And if he does say something, he might deny the candidate or even say he has other priorities, which would hurt the candidate too.”
The analyst suggested a more cautious path would have been better.
“Noronha should not have said ‘there is a contract waiting’. He should have said ‘I have spoken with Bernardo, we have been negotiating, he said he would like to return’… and then Bernardo could confirm it later, maybe with a video. Now it has become a house of cards. I don’t think it looks good to say he will bring him in January or June, he cannot confirm that.”
Nuno Farinha took a different angle, pointing to potential issues from Bernardo Silva’s past at the club. He noted that the midfielder might hesitate to come back while some of the same figures remain in place.
“It may be that Bernardo Silva does not want to return to Benfica while the same people who were there when he left are still in charge. It was clear at some point that, with Luís Filipe Vieira[former Benfica president], Bernardo did not want to return, because of his electoral stance. So there is that contextual concern on his part,”he told CNN.
Farinha joined the dots, recalling Bernardo Silva’s youth team experience under Bruno Lage.
“So we also have to consider that he may not want to return to Lisbon with a coach who wanted to release him at youth level. Bernardo Silva was on the transfer list when Bruno Lage coached the academy, and he had few opportunities at the time. We have to wait and see what Bernardo Silva has to say when asked, but it is possible he will only want to return under different conditions.”
With both commentators adding their doubts, it is clear that Noronha Lopes’ pledge has moved beyond a football matter. Bernardo Silva’s name is now tied not only to Benfica’s transfer planning, but also to the politics of the presidential election.