In 2009 Leonardo’s Rossoneri took part in the Eusebio Cup, a friendly tournament at Da Luz, against Benfica. Who had just signed a very aggressive midfielder from Belenenses….
There was a moment when Ruben Amorim risked making Storari look bad with a right-footed shot from 40 metres. He would probably have also rewritten a piece of his career as a footballer, undoubtedly less prestigious than his career as a coach. It was August 8, 2009. The Eusebio Cup was played in Lisbon, in front of a crowd of 62,000 spectators. In short, Champions League atmosphere. Not exactly a summer friendly. On one side Jorge Jesus’s Benfica, on the other Leonardo’s Milan, orphaned by Paolo Maldini – who retired a few months earlier – and Kaká, sold for weight in gold to Real Madrid. It will end 1-1. Indeed, 6-5 for the Portuguese on penalties. Amorim will score one. It will be the first and only time he will face Milan, as a player and as an opponent. Now he will be the first fan.
eusebio cup
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First some context. The Eusebio Cup was a friendly tournament played every August from 2008 to 2018. The scenario was always the same: Da Luz in Lisbon. The team to beat, obviously, was Benfica. Curiosity: the first opponent in the history of the tournament was Inter who – unlike Milan – managed to take home the cup by winning on penalties after a 0-0 draw in the 90 minutes. The other Italian team to participate was Torino in the 2016 edition: the Granata also won from the spot, again by 6-5. In short, things went worse for Milan. Like at Real Madrid and Arsenal, not really teams. Amorim was a clean-shaven, clean-shaven 24-year-old wearing the number 5 shirt. The same one Onyewu, the American giant who fought with Ibrahimovic in training, wore in that match. Differences? Definitely the character. For Amorim Jorge Jesus has always been a reference. Although, over time, the relationship between the two began to fray due to an issue related to the role. Ruben saw himself as a midfielder, his natural habitat. For Jesus he was a right back. Or at least, he could. One of those intuitions that make you a genius or a madman in football. The first test came against Milan, with David Luiz, Luisao and Sidnei completing the defensive line.
missed masterpiece
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Amorim had arrived at Benfica the year before from Belenenses. On the pitch he was a guide, both technical and spiritual. Da Luz immediately fell in love with it: it is said that his surname was among the most applauded when reading the lineups. The kick-off was given by Eusebio, a Portuguese legend. Then off we went: the first 45 minutes were very conditioned by the heat – the game was played at 7pm, but it was still August – and by a fairly tactical match, with Benfica coming close to scoring on two occasions. The news is contained in a few highlights of the second half. Da Luz’s 62,000 put Milan in awe, who suffered a winning header from Oscar Cardozo six minutes into the second half, completely forgotten by Nesta and Favalli. Amorim remained on the pitch for the entire match and around the 65th minute he decided to offer a moment of healthy madness. He takes advantage of Storari’s header outside the area, anticipates Pirlo sharply, checks in the midfield circle, looks at the goal, counts the rebounds and shoots. About 40 meters of trajectory. The ball goes out just a little, with Storari having to hug the post and probably thank fate. Mezzo Da Luz, meanwhile, was already on his feet. A huge “what if”: what would have happened if that ball had been turned a few centimeters further to the right? Surely there would have been more talk about Amorim the footballer. On his feet he wore Zidane’s Adidas Predator which, just by looking at them, was already impressive. In the end, Milan equalized thanks to Sidnei’s own goal following Pato’s cross from the left. On penalties Amorim scores the fourth penalty with a surgical right-footed shot. Antonini’s error gives Benfica the victory. For Amorim it will be the first and last joy against Milan. Now it will be his turn to bring back enthusiasm, ideas and even a pinch of healthy madness. The one you need to try, every now and then, a shot from 40 meters.
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