It’s the end of the road for Mario Silva at Benfica. A year and a half after signing with the Reds, the 43-year-old coach is stepping down from his role with the Luz emblem. This information, initially reported by Record, which is also poised to outline Benfica’s next steps.
Following their elimination by SC Braga in the Liga Placard semi-finals, resulting in failure to qualify for next season’s UEFA Futsal Champions League, former Porto Salvo coach Mario Silva couldn’t withstand the pressure. Despite having another year left on his contract, the decision has been made for Silva to depart from Benfica’s bench.
In his farewell, Mario Silva leaves Luz with a Portuguese Cup and a Super Cup, the first won last season and the latter this year. Although Benfica’s season began positively with a trophy win, it ended poorly: the Reds finished third in the regular championship phase, failed to reach the UEFA Futsal Champions League final, missed out on the final eight of the Portuguese Cup, and lost in the League Cup final. The defeat against SC Braga in the playoffs was the final straw.
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With Silva’s departure decided, Benfica has already set their sights on a successor. According to information gathered by our portal, Clube da Luz intends to appoint Spaniard Antonio Vadillo as the new head coach for the 2024/25 season.
It appears that Vadillo is highly regarded by Benfica’s management. The positive impression of the Illes Balears Palma coach is longstanding. Vadillo, who has led the Balearic Islands team since 2017 following his playing career with the same team, guided Palma de Mallorca to their first UEFA Futsal Champions League title. Benfica now aims to have the 47-year-old Spaniard take the helm.