João Varandas Fernandes, former vice-president of Benfica, has no doubts that Roger Schmidt should leave the technical command of the incarnates as soon as possible.

In the aftermath of the European elimination against Marseille, the former incarnate leader criticized the German coach and demanded an immediate reaction from the management led by Rui Costa.

"If he loves Benfica, he should leave. Obviously this is a failure that has several issues, for example the wrong choices. This coach is effectively being a heavy problem for Sport Lisboa e Benfica. I am in favor of stability, but this has crossed all possible and imaginable lines. It gives the idea of tiredness. It gives the idea that our coach is tired of the club, doesn't it? Our players are absent", said Varandas Fernandes, in statements to Renascença.

The former vice-president of Benfica also admits to being "shocked" by the fact that Schmidt said, after the game in France, that he did not have to "justify anything about the game".

"He is an employee of the club, he is being paid by all of us, by all the members, by the Benfica family. He has to give justifications because he has certain options. If he does not want to give them and says that he does not want to give them, he is confronting the members", he defended, asking for an immediate reaction from Rui Costa. "We must have the courage to change in order to take the right steps and stop making the wrong choices. Obviously everyone can have a defeat, that is not in question. However, there are certain attitudes that are not favorable, nor do they give, at this moment, encouragement to the moment that is being experienced in Sport Lisboa e Benfica", stressed Varandas Fernandes.

"There is no external justification. There is an atmosphere here that I am feeling, as a Benfica fan, and that is being breathed within Benfica that is not healthy", also said the former leader, before suggesting a change in the profile of the next coach.

"It is a question of maladaptation to the moment of Benfica. He is not what the members want. We want a coach with passion, grit, who understands what is happening on the field. The demonstrations we have had go in the opposite direction. If we continue in the same way and do not start preparing for next season now, we will go down a bad path, because it is obvious that the sporting results will end up having an impact on financial management and I would not want to see my club go backwards in any way. I want to see my club ahead. I am starting to get worried about what is happening", he concluded.

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