Latest news with #RiverPlate
New York Times
2 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Enzo Fernandez, from Benfica to Chelsea: Is he finally justifying the £106m fee?
Benfica are not rooting for Enzo Fernandez to become a world champion this time around. Back in December 2022, the sight of Fernandez lifting the World Cup trophy in Qatar was celebrated vicariously in the red corner of Lisbon as it was in his home city of Buenos Aires. He had come into the competition as a substitute and his elevation into Lionel Scaloni's starting XI after scoring a spectacular goal off the bench in a 2-0 win against Mexico had changed the trajectory of Argentina's tournament, rebalancing the midfield supply lines into Lionel Messi. Advertisement Fernandez had been a Benfica player for only six months then, but it was already clear the club would make a huge profit on the €10million (£8.5m; $12m at current rates) fee, plus €8million in add-ons, paid to acquire him from River Plate in the summer of 2022. The only question was when. Roger Schmidt's Benfica side had gone into the World Cup break leading the Primeira Liga by eight points and had topped their Champions League group above Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus. Fernandez had quickly established himself as the playmaking hub of a dominant midfield. Despite Benfica's determination to preserve the core of a potentially special team, Fernandez returned to Portugal with Chelsea hot in pursuit. He had to be convinced to play in a 3-0 loss to Braga, then jetted back to Argentina for New Year celebrations. Having been dropped for the following league match against Portimonense, he returned and scored in a cup win against Varzim, celebrating by tapping the club badge on his shirt in a sign widely interpreted as affirming his desire to stay. Three weeks later, he joined Chelsea. 'We lost a great player but I'm not going to cry for a player who doesn't want to represent Benfica,' club president Rui Costa told BTV after reluctantly signing off the January deadline day deal, which valued Fernandez at his €121million release clause. 'He showed no commitment to Benfica. Here I thought he couldn't play for Benfica anymore. As a fan, I didn't want this player anymore, as a manager it wasn't a solution either and he couldn't enter the locker room again. That's when I decided to let him go.' Fernandez fought hard to get to Chelsea, at the cost of any lingering goodwill from Benfica, despite the huge financial windfall his sale delivered. The midfielder has arguably had to fight even harder to begin to justify the energy and expense required to bring him to Stamford Bridge two and a half years ago. Advertisement The version of Fernandez that will take to the field for the Club World Cup last-16 meeting between Chelsea and Benfica on Saturday has evolved considerably. The notion of Fernandez as the positional and spiritual successor to Jorginho at the heart of Chelsea's midfield is in the past. Mauricio Pochettino, Chelsea's head coach at the time, privately questioned whether his countryman was defensively impactful enough to be deployed as a deep-lying 'No 6' or creative enough to be a more attack-minded 'No 8' in central midfield. More often, Pochettino cast him as the latter. Pochettino's successor, Enzo Maresca, has come up with a more nuanced solution. 'When we have the ball, he is playing like an attacking midfielder and is dropping next to Moises Caicedo when we don't have the ball to give us defensive balance,' the Italian said of Fernandez in October. It helps that Fernandez is now fit enough to go from box to box at Premier League intensity, which was not the case when he arrived from Benfica in the middle of the 2022-23 season. 'The first six months, the first year with Pochettino, was very difficult for me physically, but then I had to start training extra because what I did in the morning was not enough,' he said in an interview with Argentine journalist Gaston Edul at Chelsea's Cobham HQ last month. 'As time went by, I got the results and (now) I feel very good physically.' The requirements of his role in Maresca's system have significantly re-modelled Fernandez's game. Last season, the 24-year-old recorded by far the fewest number of touches (67.6) and attempted passes (58.1) per 90 minutes of his career. His influence on Chelsea's sequences of possession is almost entirely focused on the left 'pocket' or half-space, operating alongside Cole Palmer as one of two advanced creators in a 'box' midfield. Fernandez's adaptation has been painful at times. In the first half of last season, it was reasonable to wonder if he had a logical position in Chelsea's best XI. Maresca himself appeared to wrestle with that question, benching the Argentinian for four Premier League games in a row in October and admitting he preferred the 'physicality' offered by Romeo Lavia's midfield partnership with Caicedo. Advertisement But in recent months, Fernandez has demonstrated his value to Chelsea's attack, creating chances more efficiently in the final third and offering an auxiliary goal threat. His arrival in the penalty area to convert Liam Delap's cross against Los Angeles FC was not surprising — it mirrored the run he made to score a vital early winner against Liverpool in early May. While the frequency of his shot attempts has actually dipped slightly relative to last season (1.6 per 90 minutes, down from 1.8), the average distance of his shots has shrunk over his Chelsea career (25.7 yards in 2022-23, 21.3 yards in 2023-24, 18.1 yards in 2024-25) and perhaps not coincidentally he is finishing more clinically. Fernandez also credits the time he has spent with a sports psychologist for a mental breakthrough. 'The first year and a half I was here wasn't easy,' he said in his interview with Edul. 'Moving countries — I had been in Lisbon before for six months — everything was new, a new language. Being with my family was also difficult. Here (in England), by 3 pm it was already night, and living day-to-day life was difficult until I got psychological help. 'I started to share what I felt and as time went by, I started feeling better. Then everything became much easier.' Fernandez was directly involved in 13 goals in the Premier League (six goals and seven assists, his best attacking numbers in Europe) and scored and assisted in Chelsea's comeback win over Real Betis in last month's Conference League final, nodding in the equaliser from Palmer's inviting cross. He has carried that form to the United States, building on his goal against LAFC with a clever dinked pass to help Delap score his first goal for the club against ES Tunis. 'He's told me to run when he gets the ball,' Delap told reporters after the match. Fernandez has already made more than double the number of appearances for Chelsea that he made for River and Benfica combined, and a significant number of them while wearing the captain's armband. Maresca has always described him as a 'reference' for his team on the pitch, but such status carries more credibility now that it appears there are no enduring dressing-room issues from the racist Argentina team bus song video that overshadowed last summer. Advertisement That seems to have been consigned to history, along with his all-too-brief stint in Lisbon. Benfica will only delight in this reunion if they win, but recent history suggests Fernandez could play a big part in sending them home. 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Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Genoa Join The Race To Sign Inter Milan Teenage Sensation
Genoa have reportedly joined the race to sign teenage Inter Milan striker Francesco Pio Esposito this summer. This according to today's print edition of Genoa-based newspaper Il Secolo XIX, via FCInterNews. Advertisement Inter Milan striker Francesco Pio Esposito has really broken out in recent weeks. The 19-year-old enjoyed a standout campaign on loan with Spezia in Serie B. he scored a total of nineteen goals for the Ligurian club. Then, this summer, Pio Esposito has travelled with Inter to the United States for the Club World Cup. And it would be fair to say that this has been a successful endeavour for Pio Esposito. The teenager has assisted one goal, and scored his first goal for the Inter senior team against River Plate. Genoa Join The Race For Inter Striker Francesco Pio Esposito SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – JUNE 24: Francesco Pio Esposito of FC therefore. Moreover. Therefore. Moreover. Therefore. Moreover Internazionale faces the media during the Training/Press Conference ahead of their FIFA Club World Cup 2025 match between FC Internazionale Milano and CA River Plate at Virginia Mason Athletic Center on June 24, 2025 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by) There is no shortage of transfer interest in Pio Esposito. Advertisement A number of clubs in Serie A have shown an interest in signing the teenage striker on loan. Bologna, Cagliari, and Torino are among them. Meanwhile, recent reports indicate that Inter want to keep Pio Esposito in their squad next season. Now, another Serie A club have reportedly entered the race to sign Pio Espositl. Il Secolo XIX report that the 19-year-old is among the targets for Genoa as they seek attacking reinforcements for coach Patrick Vieira.
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Croatia Star Earns Rave Revue For Match-Winning Display Off The Bench In River Plate 0-2 Inter Milan Win
Croatia Star Earns Rave Revue For Match-Winning Display Off The Bench In River Plate 0-2 Inter Milan Win Petar Sucic is winning plaudits for his performance off the bench for Inter Milan in their 2-0 Club World Cup win over River Plate. Today's print edition of Turin-based newspaper Tuttosport, via FCInterNews, hail the 21-year-old Croatian international's display. Advertisement Petar Sucic made his third straight substitute appearance for Inter Milan at the Club World Cup against River Plate. The Croat had already appeared against the likes of Monterrey and Urawa Red Diamonds. And once again Sucic was a player who Cristian Chivu turned to to try and inject new life into Inter's midfield. Petar Sucic Praised For Performance In River Plate 0-2 Inter Milan Win Welcome Petar Sucic Article Image In the view of Tuttosport, it was an outstanding performance by Petar Sucic. The Croat did exactly what was needed to turn the match in Inter's favour. Sucic had the energy and strength to keep up in what was already a very intense physical battle in midfield. Advertisement Meanwhile, the former Dinamo Zagreb midfielder's technique was impeccable. He did very well to hold onto the ball and dictate the tempo in midfield. Moreover, Sucic was the player who assisted Francesco Pio Esposito for Inter's opener. This could very well have been a performance that earned Sucic a place in the Nerazzurri starting eleven for their round of sixteen clash with Brazilian giants Fluminense.
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Italy Star The High Point For Strong Inter Milan Backline Vs River Plate
Italy Star The High Point For Strong Inter Milan Backline Vs River Plate Alessandro Bastoni was the key figure in a watertight Inter Milan backline in their Club World Cup win over River Plate. Today's print edition of Turin-based newspaper Tuttosport, via FCInterNews. Inter Milan kept a priceless clean sheet against River Plate. Advertisement Despite the Argentine giants probing for openings all match long with their pace, physicality, and some intelligent forward balls, Inter held firm around their penalty area. This proved a key platform for Inter to book their place in the round of sixteen. They will face Brazilian team Fluminense this Monday. Alessandro Bastoni The Key Player For Inter Milan Backline Vs River Plate BERGAMO, ITALY – MARCH 16: Alessandro Bastoni of FC Internazionale looks on during the Serie A match between Atalanta BC and FC Internazionale at Gewiss Stadium on March 16, 2025 in Bergamo, Italy. (Photo by) All of Inter's starting back three did well against River Plate, Tuttosport argue. Matteo Darmian and Francesco Acerbi used their experience well. But it was Alessandro Bastoni who really did more than his share in keeping the ball out of Inter's goal. The Italian international made a sequence of outstanding challenges. These were both around his own area, and stepping into midfield to defend on the front foot.
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Absolutely Outstanding – Inter Milan Teenage Sensation Breaks Out In FIFA Club World Cup Win Vs River Plate
Inter Milan striker Francesco Pio Esposito officially enjoyed his breakout match in the Club World Cup match against River Plate. Today's print edition of Turin-based newspaper Tuttosport, via FCInterNews, note how the 19-year-old was absolutely outstanding against the Argentine giants, well beyond just scoring his first senior goal for Inter. Advertisement There was one extremely notable name in the Inter Milan starting eleven against River Plate. That was Francesco Pio Esposito. The 19-year-old was making his first ever senior start for the Nerazzurri. And it would be fair to say that Pio Esposito made the most of this gigantic opportunity. He was the player who scored the goal that broke the deadlock in the decisive group stage match. Pio Esposito Breaks Out For Inter Milan SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – JUNE 24: Francesco meanwhile. Therrfore. However. Therefore. Pio Esposito of FC Internazionale faces the media during the Training/Press Conference ahead of their FIFA Club World Cup 2025 match between FC Internazionale Milano and CA River Plate at Virginia Mason Athletic Center on June 24, 2025 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by) According to Tuttosport, though, the goal was far from the only thing that Francesco Pio Esposio gave Inter. For the entire first half, the teenage striker was the outstanding player for Inter. Advertisement Pio Esposito's physicality was crucial in the Nerazzurri staying in the game against a highly physical River Plate side. The 19-year-old's holdup play was impeccable. He allowed Inter to have a route up the pitch no matter how much River Plate turned the screw with their physicality. And Pio Esposito also showed great maturity. The teenage striker made the right decisions and never gave the ball away cheaply. This meant that when Inter got up the pitch, the attack always moved along swiftly.
