Benfica were disresepectful to Arsenal, says André Nobrega, here in Madeira, who says he was an ex-professional in the eighties.
He explained that Benfica were trying fancy tricks to wind up the opposition, and it is why Arsenal responded with physicality, particularly in the second half. He said it was a non-sporting style and not in the spirit of the game.
Arsenal, he said play the diagonals very well, but lack a couple of world class performers at 9 or 10 and in midfield to execute their good play. He said their rivals do have world class players in these positions.
Benfica he said play the diagonals to wind-up defenders, but most their attacks come through the middle. They also play a lot for fouls.
Nobriga said that he trained under Bobby Robson and rates him as the best coach, and football person he has met, going into a Portuguese Geordie accent mimicking the way Bobby used to talk. He recalls that the Geordie man never forgot a face, and more often than not a supportive comment.
He recalls the time his club Nacional were 2-0 up against Sporting, something of a sensation. He was playing up front and before he could turn from scoring he was clattered by a two footed challenge on his calf, by a defensive midfielder called Oceano.
He couldn ´t walk, and after an operation, doctors advised him he would never play professional football again. At 20. That is why he has sympathy with the high wages profesionals currently earn.
They can have career-threatening injuries at any moment. It changed the course of his life and he took up tourism, learning four or five languages.
He says there were players in the Eighties who were around to take out opposition players. Now he says, things are performance based, more technical but more individual. Players can fall from grace very quickly. Then it was all about balance, mental and physical and thinking more about the team.
He points out the house that Cristiano Ronaldo grew up in.
He said the family was in poverty and struggled to buy a pair of shoes for Cristiano. He recalls that Cristiano was a ball boy, in the game around Funchal, going deep into the banana fields to retrieve balls to earn respect of his future team mates.
“He worked very hard. He didn ´t like to lose. He deserves everything he has got.”
He comes back now and again and looks after his family very well. There was a Real Madrid football school on the island, but this has now gone. Inter Milan have taken up the baton .
And we see hundreds of kids running around on dry pitches in the 28 degrees sunshine.