Pablo Aimar excited ahead of official Benfica debut

Argentine showers praise on teammates Reyes and Di Maria

Pablo Aimar is geared up for the start of the season, with the Benfica ace anxious to get the championship underway. The Argentine has enjoyed the pre-season with his new club and feels that the team are prepared for a successful campaign.

Benfica’s first test of the season will be at the Vila do Conde this coming Sunday against newly promoted side Rio Ave. “I know that Rio Ave won promotion. It will be a complicated encounter and they will want to have a good game, just like we do. I am really looking forward to making my official debut,” said Aimar.

The former Valencia player said that the preparation matches have enabled him to become familiar with other members of the team and form a promising-looking partnership with Oscar Cardozo.

Good understanding

“We have played three matches together and we understand each other well. But Benfica also have other good strikers. I am playing in the position where I feel most comfortable – behind the strikers. I am close to the net. It is the position that I have played in the last few years.”

Aimar had praise for two of his teammates in particular – Jose Antonio Reyes and Angel Di Maria. El Mago is familiar with Reyes having faced the Spanish international in Spain when Reyes played for Real Madrid and later for Atletico Madrid, while he was at Real Zaragoza.

“Let us hope that this will be the year he asserts himself. I expect a lot from him. He was my adversary and that is how I know he is a great player. I hope he adapts quickly and I have no doubt that we will benefit a lot from his football,” declared the Argentine.

Di Maria impresses

As for his compatriot, Aimar confesses that he does not know much about the World Cup U20 champion, but that he has watched him having a brilliant Olympic Games campaign in Beijing.

“I hope Argentina win! Di Maria has been very good. I do not know him personally, but he is a great player. It is good to have him here (at Benfica) as a companion.”

One of Aimar’s aims is to receive a recall to the biancoceleste, but he does not want to get ahead of himself. “First I have to play well at Benfica. Afterwards, if I have another opportunity I will take advantage of it. But first, I must play well at Benfica.”