In this interview with Flashscore, Luis Araujo shares insights into Benfica's youth development and what it’s like working with young players who dream of becoming professionals.
'We never stop thinking and evolving'
Thank you for welcoming us here, in what is essentially your home, where you’ve been almost since the beginning, after coming from Belenenses. Over all these years, how have you seen the growth of this magnificent Benfica Campus?
"I’ve been here since the opening of Benfica Campus. Beyond the growth in infrastructure, which has seen several renovations and expansions since 2006, there’s been a significant increase in human resources and quality.
"The evolution and investment in work processes and youth development have been immense. It’s been a long journey, full of hard work, but incredibly rewarding for someone who’s spent 20 seasons at Benfica, witnessing the club’s commitment to youth football.
"The expansion of fields, pitches, buildings, and residential facilities are all major assets for player development. But the real investment has been in training methods, player development, and multidisciplinary support. The growth and qualification of staff have been impressive and gratifying to see, and that’s reflected in the results we’ve achieved over the years."
Benfica Campus is internationally recognised for developing players. Many have gone on to reach the highest levels of world football. Does this increase the responsibility for those tasked with shaping them?
"Absolutely. For me, and I believe for everyone who works here, there’s a heightened sense of responsibility and dedication every day. That comes from the recognition we receive for consistently developing players who prove their worth around the world. We have to be demanding with ourselves. We never stop thinking and evolving.
"Standing still isn’t part of our work here. We always strive to improve, because if we had stagnated 10 or 12 years ago, we wouldn’t have been able to keep progressing. It’s a constant challenge, both for those who’ve been here for years and for newcomers, who must understand that joining Benfica is just the beginning - the real work starts then, and we have to keep evolving and improving to succeed."
You’ve coached players who have found success both at home and abroad: Joao Cancelo, Ivan Cavaleiro, Bernardo Silva, Andre Gomes, Renato Sanches, Goncalo Ramos, Joao Neves, Antonio Silva, now a starter for the first team, and many others. When these players reach the top, what goes through a coach’s mind? Mission accomplished, and on to the next?
"I always say those are the greatest trophies a youth coach can have in their career. Fortunately, working at Benfica, I’ve won many collective titles. But seeing a youth player debut for the first team and establish themselves in professional football fills us with pride.
"My family has seen me get emotional watching these players succeed - it’s the realisation that the goals we set and the commitment we made to Benfica are being fulfilled. But I wouldn’t say the mission is ever truly complete, because this is our job and we must keep challenging ourselves to help more players reach those heights."
Do you feel that, from their side, there’s also a sense of gratitude? Do you keep in touch?
"Without a doubt, what matters most is feeling good about our contribution. The main architects of their journey are the players themselves, but we help them reach the level they’ve achieved.
"All of them recognise what Benfica and the coaches did for them. While we may not be in constant contact, whenever we meet, it’s always great to reminisce and relive the moments we shared. Those memories are very special to us."
From the start, the level of expectation here is extremely high. I imagine for many kids, arriving here and seeing this reality can be a shock. Some were stars in their previous teams, but here, they’re just one among many. How do you handle that? It can’t be easy.
"It’s not easy. The first reality we have to convey is exactly that, and it’s what they feel when they arrive. Here, you can’t just do what’s easiest - you have to meet the demands placed on you. Some players struggle to adapt and need support.
"Fortunately, Benfica has many resources to help not only the coaches but also the entire staff support players through these moments. Some players, thanks to their ability, character, and personality, quickly grasp the club’s magnitude and respond right away. For those who find it harder, the structure comes together to support them, and we’ve had success in that area."
A youth coach is much more than just a coach for these kids. It’s not just about running training sessions or being on the bench during games. Some players even describe their first coaches as second parents. Is that really the case?
"Yes. These days, I’m working in a transitional space towards professionalism. I deal with players who are more mature, and perhaps more than a second parent; we have to be mentors and manage their expectations, because their goal is so close, though for some, it’s closer than for others. Managing expectations is crucial.
"But when I coached the Under-14s, Under-15s, Under-16s, Under-17s, we were often the people players turned to for advice, for learning basic things that parents usually teach. I’ve been asked how to shave or if a certain outfit was appropriate for an occasion. Naturally, our role goes beyond coaching and teaching the technical or tactical side of the game - it’s much more than that."
There’s a need to welcome them into a new family…
"Exactly, exactly."
And in all this, especially from age 15 or 16 when they’re developing their personalities, what role do parents play in their growth? Everyone thinks they have a future star at home, but that’s not always the case, and not all will reach the top.
"I’d like to challenge the common belief that parents are a problem for footballers. Parents always want the best for their children and dream alongside them that they can become professional footballers, have a career, and be like their idols on TV. That’s natural for any parent.
"So it’s important for clubs and everyone involved in football to help parents understand that not everyone will reach that goal, and not being a player in Liga Portugal or one of the top five European leagues doesn’t mean their football journey was a failure. Football should be a vehicle for their personal development.
"Sport is fundamental for character building, mental and physical health, and we need to bring parents into that reality. Managing expectations is largely about helping parents see that there’s more than one path to success, and there are many forms of success in football.
"If parents understand this, they’ll be a huge help in keeping players grounded and realising that dreams are worth pursuing, but success isn’t just about achieving that dream. There are many dreams, many goals, and most achieve their objectives because football and sport help them along the way."
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After all, not being a top player doesn’t mean someone can’t become a great coach. Benfica’s first team is a prime example of that. So, football also prepares you for life.
"Absolutely, sport prepares you for life, and football especially. Teamwork, sacrifice, success, and failure are all invaluable for character development in any profession. It’s not a disadvantage or a lack of belief for those playing in the District or Campeonato de Portugal.
"Many players are happy and fulfilled playing in those competitions. Not making it to the top doesn’t mean failure. We also need to help players and parents see that football offers more than just financial rewards or public recognition for those who reach the highest level."
You mentioned success and failure. The success rate at Benfica Campus is huge. Out of every 10 players, eight become professionals. That’s an incredible average, but then there’s the other 20%. When a coach has to deliver bad news, does it hurt? How do you handle it? You must have seen many leave with tears in their eyes.
"I always say it’s the hardest day to come to work. If match day is the best day, the day we have to tell a player their time at Benfica is over is the worst. It’s tough for the players, but also for those delivering the news and for us coaches who build relationships with them every day. Sometimes the relationship isn’t perfect, but it’s always deep - so many hours, so many experiences… It’s not easy.
"Still, we always have to keep in mind that the criteria for deciding whether a player should continue are based on what’s best for the player, not for us or the club. So when we tell a player their journey towards their dream shouldn’t continue at Benfica, it’s because it’s better for them.
"Sometimes they don’t understand or accept it at the time, but years later, many recognise it was the right decision. Others don’t, and that’s just life. What matters is that we’re conscious, and Benfica has a large team that thinks carefully about these decisions, so that when we say it’s time to part ways, it’s always based on what’s best for the player. So, even though it’s hard, we face that moment knowing we’re doing what’s right for them."
The 'Formar a Benfica' model
You played an active role in creating a document and a model for Benfica’s style of play and player development. Can you explain, in general terms, how that process worked?
"That document was created after years of interaction and shared experiences among the coaches at Benfica Campus. The coaches who were here at the beginning were experiencing the creation of a space like this for the first time. They had a lot of experience in youth development, but the scale and demands of Benfica were new.
"Together, we built what we thought was the best process for developing players. Over the years, sharing the same workspace led to many informal debates and discussions about how to play, the profile of a Benfica player, positional profiles, training models, and those discussions shaped our ideas about player development.
"The next step was to put it all on paper. We were challenged to formalise the model, and that document came from the reflections of many coaches. Every new coach who joined contributed to what became the ‘Formar a Benfica’ model. There’s a document, a player development model, which we make sure is never closed - it’s always evolving, and we’re constantly discussing ways to improve it."
The goal is to supply players to the first team in the medium or long term. That’s always the aim. Guilherme Muller told me he’d trade a title for three or four players in the first team every year...
"I think we all would. The model covers everything from the under-sixes and under-fives up to the B team. One thing we’ve noticed is that many of our players spend most of their development time here - some join at under-10, or even earlier.
"They spend 10 or 12 years in our extensive and comprehensive model, which has several development stages. This was created not just by the coaches at Benfica Campus, but by the entire technical staff.
"The main goal is to develop players for the first team, but we never forget the crucial social and citizenship aspects. Many parents entrust us with their children at 12 or 13, and they leave their families to live here. So we have an added responsibility to develop not just players, but good people."
Competitionally, the creation of B teams, the under-23 league, and the new Liga 3 subdivision all help. Do these provide a boost for players in the transition to senior football, making them better prepared for the first team?
"Absolutely. It’s clear that the transition from youth to senior football involves different levels of readiness. Some players are ready at 17 or 18, others mature later, and that shouldn’t stop them from reaching the top. These competitions have been a huge asset for clubs like Benfica, allowing us to retain and give more opportunities for player development.
"For us, having our B team in Liga 2 is fundamental. The creation of B teams was a major step forward, and Benfica was a pioneer in bringing them back. We’ve done everything to keep that competitive space as part of our player development.
"The Liga Revelacao came later, and it’s great to have another space for players who are slower to develop, giving them an intermediate step between junior level and Liga 2. In recent years, several players who made it to the first team - and even moved on - went through that stage, so it’s been a valuable addition to our ability to retain and help players develop for professional football."
In your opinion, as a coach, is the moment when a player signs their first professional contract the most decisive for building a career and increasing their performance to reach the top? How does Benfica approach this?
"Signing the first professional contract is when players stop seeing football as just a hobby and start realising their dream can become reality. But I wouldn’t say it’s the most important moment, because developing footballers is a continuous process - there’s no single peak of importance or demand, it’s gradual.
"At that moment, everyone around the player needs to help manage expectations, because signing a professional contract doesn’t guarantee they’ll become professional footballers in the future. The journey is still long. Many sign contracts at 16 or 18…"
And some don’t make it.
"And many don’t make it. The journey is long, and they need to understand that not reaching the goal is just another step towards their dream."
What’s the strategy at that transition stage, from juniors to professional football? Is there a defined approach to further develop each player’s qualities?
"The demands and standards are higher. As players mature, they realise that everything they do—on the pitch and in their personal lives - affects whether they reach their goals or dreams.
"So, more rigour, more demands. There’s constant personal, psychological, and physical support to guide them towards their objectives. We get closer to the player to show them the path they still need to take to reach their dream."
'Our league is somewhat limited by the country’s financial reality'
Unfortunately, Portuguese football can’t retain its talent. With so many players you’ve coached and the success of most, where do you think we’d be if Portuguese football could keep all that talent? Have you ever thought about that?
"That suggests Portuguese football isn’t at the level its success deserves. Maybe our league isn’t seen as one of the world’s biggest, but I think that’s down to economic factors, which are influenced by the country’s size and financial capacity. In terms of national teams, every Portuguese squad - from senior to youth - gets some of the best results."
And Benfica has plenty of players there…
"We have plenty of players there. Our coaches are recognised worldwide. Our players play everywhere. I believe Portugal is currently at the top of global football in every area.
"Maybe Liga Portugal isn’t among the biggest leagues, but that’s not just down to football, players, or coaches - it’s also about the country’s financial capacity, which means we can’t compete with leagues in countries with greater geographic and financial scale.
"I don’t underestimate what Portuguese football has achieved internationally. Our league is somewhat limited by the country’s financial reality."
Benfica has already won the UEFA Youth League. Do you believe there’s potential to win it again?
"Sporting results depend on so many factors. What I know and feel every day is that since Benfica started competing in the Youth League, there hasn’t been a single year when we didn’t have a team capable of competing with any club in Europe.
"I have no doubt that the quality of players developed at Benfica, and the teams as a whole, give us the ability to be competitive and go toe-to-toe with anyone in Europe. We see that in international tournaments - we’re competitive with any club and recognised for it.
"So yes, to answer directly, I believe we have what it takes to reach another final four and fight for the Youth League title. Of course, football is unpredictable and many factors can influence the outcome, but yes, absolutely."