Several members of Benfica’s “Nameless Boys” cheerleaders will be involved in the disrespect shown by Hajduk Split fans on Tuesday evening in the historic center of Guimarães. According to what Porto Canal has learned, after a few minutes of chaos, a group of more than 100 people boarded five Portuguese-registered buses in the direction of the city of Porto.

On VKI, where the group was intercepted, new chaos began. Near the Paranhos junction where the buses stopped, dozens of supporters fled on foot as the authorities tried to intercept them.

In a conversation with SIC Notícias, a witness who was in a bar in the center of Guimarães at the time of the “invasion” of Hajduk Split supporters assures that there were Portuguese in the group. According to Marta Mendez, phrases such as “Guimarães is ours” and “let’s go through this burning city” were heard.

The closeness between the Hajduk Split cheerleading team and the Nameless Boys from Benfica is well known. There are embodied supporters in social networks guaranteeing support for Croats.

“We will definitely be there with our brothers” and “everyone is ready for an invasion” are some of the published comments.

It is on the field number 1 of the Benfica campus in Seixal that the official women’s national football season will begin this Wednesday at 17:30, when Benfica hosts Braga for the Super Cup.

This season, the top four players from the last BPI league will compete for the trophy, facing each other in a semi-final system, followed by the final scheduled for the 26th at 20:30 in Leiria.

Philippa Patao announced the match at the José Martins Vieira Stadium in Almada. “We can count on a prepared team or trying to do our best given the somewhat atypical pre-season we’ve had. Since we are at Benfica, there are no excuses, we have done everything possible to ensure that the entire squad is at the same level, in the same form. They did a great job, they were flawless,” praised the coach.

“We will fight and I am sure they will give a great answer in the first official competition. The main challenge for our players is to understand that they will have to adapt a lot more to the game, it depends a lot on their understanding of the game itself and the involvement that is going on. We will also do our job to convey as much information as possible. In the end, this is a good test of the adaptability they can have in the game,” he stressed.

Philippa Patao considers this semi-final to be “a good challenge and also a moment of growth”. “For our part, we should focus more on who we are, on our principles and dynamics, and then try to adapt that in the game. We are very focused on getting trophies, although we know that even in terms of timing it is not ideal, given that we have Champions League qualification ahead of us, but it is a great goal.

“We want to win everything, so we have to do everything to win. We usually tell these players that if they want to win and be happy for Benfica, they will have to fight for Benfica on the pitch as well. That’s where we need our biggest strength, the fans who are sure to give us another push when needed. I know that game time is not attractive, but I am sure that these girls deserve it,” she assured with conviction.

Ricardo Esgayo has become the main target of criticism from Sporting fans, who even before the end of the game with Braga (3: 3) invaded the right-back’s social networks.

Criticism aside, it was the insults, posted even on personal photos, that prompted the defender to deactivate his Instagram account and later Facebook, the social network that yesterday hosted Núcleo do Sporting da Nazaré, Ricardo’s birthplace. Esgayo joined the wave of support for the athlete.

“We are with you! We know that in good times and bad, no one wants everything to go well, more than you. like Mr. [Rúben] Amorim, we believe in you. We support all our athletes at all times, in wins, losses and draws. The strength of Ricardo Esgayo, keep working and believing! Sporting fans from Nazaré and Núcleo Sporting Clube de Portugal da Nazaré are with you,” wrote Núcleo.

In addition to Núcleo, Ugarte also responded to criticism of Esgayo on the social network Twitter. “How easy it is to criticize without showing your face. How easy it is to hide behind an anonymous account. At least have the courage to use your account,” the Uruguayan midfielder wrote, and even Thiago Thomas, who is now at Stuttgart, reacted to the episode: “2022 and they still think it is.”