Speaking to Eleven Sports, Júlio César assumed that he was with a «divided heart» in the Champions League tie that pitted Benfica and Inter Milan and regretted that his statements to an Italian podcast were taken «out of context», causing «dissatisfaction» among the directors of the Portuguese club.
«I have a great affection for Inter, one of the best moments of my career lives in Italy. But I can never stop being grateful to Benfica for what they did for me after the 2014 World Cup, after Brazil’s 1-7 defeat by Germany. I wanted to stop playing football and Benfica reached out to me. I’m in love with Benfica, with Lisbon. I have lived in Lisbon for eight years», said the former goalkeeper, before clarifying the statements generated «discomfort»:
«The Portuguese invest a lot to win the championship, they value winning the championship a lot and don’t invest so much to play as equals in European competitions. I want to clarify this. I have a great affection for Benfica, which is my home. I have friends inside. I had contact with some Benfica managers who obviously showed a little dissatisfaction with the interview.»
The cell phone «didn’t stop» after the draw dictated the duel between the two clubs he represented, but Júlio César always avoided talking to the Press. “I ran away from all the journalists and went to do a podcast in Italy, they took my statement and changed the context”, he explained, regretting that there was “bad faith” in this process. He also assured that he will ask for the recording of the interview and show it to Benfica’s directors.
?? “I would like to clarify a situation that has resulted in discomfort”
??Júlio César in statements to ELEVEN | @sfoliveira
°#ChampionsELEVEN pic.twitter.com/0NxdmTt1tX— ELEVEN Portugal (@ElevenSports_PT) April 19, 2023
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