Costa Rui confesses to 'falling short': 'Our capabilities were insufficient'
Rewritten Article:
Rui Costa, Benfica's president, owned up to the "shortcomings" of the eagles' campaign, allowing the title to slip out of their grasp and pass to Sporting. In a heartfelt chat with reporters following the draw at Sp. Braga (1-1), the final league round, Costa candidly discussed the season, yet emphasized the necessity for players to stay focused for the Portuguese Cup final.
"First and foremost, to acknowledge the shortcomings, a failure to clinch the championship, which was the main objective of the season. As the top honcho, I step forward to take this blame. This season, we targeted that title, fought tooth and nail until the end, but it's a fact that we fell short, bringing only disappointment to the fans," said an emotional Costa, sharing his thoughts in the mixed zone of the Municipal Stadium of Braga.
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"This moment is one of immense disappointment and excruciating pain. A year filled with work marred by the absence of that title. No matter what happens until the season's end, it doesn't alter the reality that our main objective has missed the mark. I want to express my gratitude, from the bottom of my heart, to the fans for their unwavering support throughout the tournament, even during the toughest moments, culminating today with their show of spirits. It wasn't the fans' fault that we missed this championship; on the contrary, I can only be thankful to the fans and apologize for falling short of that title that they craved and deserved," the leader of Benfica conveyed, denying, nonetheless, the rumors that he was contemplating not running for the next elections of the club.
"Regarding my position, as I've stressed throughout the season, despite the recent speculation, it's premature to ponder these matters when the season hasn't ended. My focus is solely on the team's ambitions. We've still got a Portuguese Cup to conquer, a Club World Cup to compete in, and a season to prepare. In good time, I'll discern what's best for me and for Benfica. I've never placed myself above Benfica. In good time, I'll communicate," he asserted, offering a final guarantee.
"We believed till the end and did our part. Unfortunately, we couldn't make it happen. It wasn't a walk in the park in this round because rumors seeped into the pitch. We didn't lose the championship today. It was an erratic season overall, where Benfica didn't start strong. Points were dropped in the initial rounds. We experienced stages in the season where the championship seemed out of our reach, managed to recover that deficit against the rival, and then, during our periods of dominance, we failed to hold on and widen the gap. It was an unprecedented year for the whole championship. Undeniably, we weren't sharp enough in the moments when we fought back and snatched victory to claim the title. Congratulations to Sporting, they outplayed us," concluded Costa.
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"Despite Benfica's shortcomings in national football, the focus now shifts to European-leagues and the Premier League. Rui Costa, in his heartfelt chat with reporters, acknowledged that despite their best efforts, Benfica fell short in the pursuit of the championship, a goal set at the beginning of the season,"
"Moreover, Costa emphasized that Portuguese sports enthusiasts should keep an eye on the club's performances in the upcoming European football competitions and the Premier League, as the team strives to make amends for their domestic League disappointments by displaying their prowess on the international stage."
