Anatoliy Trubin will be Benfica's main goalkeeper in Europa League games, while Samuel Soares will be responsible for the goal in Portuguese League matches. This decision comes at a time when the Ukrainian goalkeeper lost his status as undisputed starter, a status he maintained for the past three seasons.
Coach Marco Silva has been betting on Samuel Soares as the first choice, relegating Trubin to a secondary role in the hierarchy of the Eagles' goalkeepers. This change in scenario led to the implementation of a rotation strategy between the two goalkeepers.
Marco Silva's intention is to give minutes to both players so they maintain competitive rhythm, avoiding Trubin's market devaluation and ensuring competitiveness in the Eagles' goal. This management allows both goalkeepers to be prepared for the different competitions.
The strategy of dividing duties between goalkeepers recalls the legendary 2009/2010 season, when Jorge Jesus used a similar approach by betting on Quim for the championship conquest.
