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Florentino Luís

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Florentino Luís
Florentino with Benfica in 2019
Personal information
Full name Florentino Ibrain Morris Luís[1]
Date of birth (1999-08-19) 19 August 1999 (age 25)
Place of birth Lobito, Angola[2]
Height 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)[3]
Position(s) Defensive midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Benfica
Number 61
Youth career
2007–2009 Tercena (futsal)
2009–2010 Real
2010–2018 Benfica
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2016–2019 Benfica B 69 (1)
2019– Benfica 84 (1)
2020–2021 → Monaco (loan) 9 (0)
2021–2022 → Getafe (loan) 22 (0)
International career‡
2014 Portugal U15 2 (0)
2014–2015 Portugal U16 10 (1)
2015–2016 Portugal U17 16 (0)
2016–2018 Portugal U19 26 (0)
2017–2019 Portugal U20 18 (0)
2019–2021 Portugal U21 12 (0)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Portugal
UEFA European Under-19 Championship
Winner 2018
Runner-up 2017
UEFA European U17 Championship
Winner 2016
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 1 June 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 00:29, 14 June 2022 (UTC)

Florentino Ibrain Morris Luís (born 19 August 1999), known as Florentino (Portuguese pronunciation: [fluɾẽˈtinu]), is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Primeira Liga club Benfica. Born in Angola, he has represented Portugal at youth level.

Coming through Benfica's youth system, he began playing for Benfica B in 2017 and was promoted to the first-team a year later, playing a few minutes with the latter. He joined Monaco and Getafe on consecutive loans between 2020 and 2022. He returned to Benfica the following season and established himself as an integral player for the club.

Florentino is a former Portugal youth international, representing his country at various levels, being part of the under-17 team that won the 2016 European Championship, the under-19 team that won the 2018 European Championship and the under-21 team that finished as runners-up at the 2021 European Championship.

Club career

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Benfica

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2017–2019: Early years

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Born in Lobito, Angola, Florentino began playing futsal, with 8 years old at local club Tercena Futsal, before moving to football, after joining Real Massamá in 2009. The following year, he joined Benfica's youth system.[4] On 11 September 2016, he made his professional debut with the club's reserve team as a substitute in a 2–1 home win over Académico de Viseu in LigaPro.[5] During that season, Florentino played in the 2016–17 UEFA Youth League, in which he was a key part of Benfica reaching the final of the competition, which the club lost to Red Bull Salzburg 2–1 in the final and also won the 2017–18 Campeonato Nacional de Juniores.[4]

Following his promotion to Benfica's first team alongside three other Benfica B players on 1 February 2019,[6] Florentino made his Primeira Liga debut as a 62nd-minute substitute in a 10–0 thrashing of Nacional on 10 February.[7] Four days later, he made his European debut as Benfica beat Galatasaray 2–1 in the first leg of the UEFA Europa League round of 32, their first ever victory in Turkey.[8] Florentino scored his first Primeira Liga goal in a 4–0 away win over Moreirense on 17 March 2019.[4] He helped Benfica win their record 37th league title by making 11 appearances (8 starts), featuring in a 4–1 win over Santa Clara on the final day of the league campaign.[9] Despite being a starter under Bruno Lage, following his sacking, with the appointment of Jorge Jesus, Florentino lost his place in the first team and after failing to impress the new coach in pre-season, he requested his coach to be sent on loan, in order to have more game time.[10]

2020–2022: Loans to Monaco and Getafe

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On 25 September 2020, he joined Monaco on a season-long loan deal for the 2020–21 season, for a reported fee of €1.5 million, with an option to buy of €30 million.[11] He made his debut on 4 October, replacing Youssouf Fofana in the 45th minute in the 1–0 away lost to Brest in Ligue 1. Despite contracting COVID-19 during the season, Florentino found limited minutes, only making two starts in eleven appearances, which saw Monaco finish third place in the league.[12]

On 31 August 2021, Florentino joined La Liga side Getafe on a season-long loan deal for a €500,000 with the Spanish club having an option to buy for €10 million.[13] He made his debut for the club on 18 September, replacing Juan Iglesias in the 46th minute in the 3–0 lost to Rayo Vallecano.[14] Florentino initially became a starter, being the club's best performing midfielder, but following the appointment of Quique Sánchez Flores, he eventually lost his place in the team, and was linked with a potential return to Benfica in January, before making a total of 24 appearances, including 8 starts, as Getafe nearly avoided relegation.[15][16]

2022–2023: Return and First-team breakthrough

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Following his loan spell at Getafe, Florentino returned to Benfica the following season. During the pre-season, he impressed newly arrived coach Roger Schmidt with his "quality and commitment", according to the new coach, leading him to earn a spot in the starting eleven, being entrusted by his new manager in the defensive midfield role, in Benfica's first win of the season on 2 August, starting in a 4–1 home win over Midtjylland in the first leg of the 2022–23 UEFA Champions League third qualifying round.[17] He subsequently formed a successful partnership in midfield, with the club's newest signing Enzo Fernández, and in his next six matches he registered a 93% passing rate, 5 tackles per match and won 90% his duels, topping the Primeira Liga's defensive stats, including an assist for David Neres goal in Benfica's 5–0 home win over Marítimo on 18 September, after winning a duel.[18] On 14 October, he agreed to a contract extension to 2027, increasing his buyout clause to €120 million.[19]

International career

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Florentino earned 84 caps and scored 1 goal for Portugal across all youth levels, starting with a 2–1 win for the under-15 team against Switzerland in Campo Maior on 10 June 2014. He went with the under-17 team to the 2016 UEFA European Championship in Azerbaijan, helping his team win over neighbours Spain in the final.[20]

At the 2017 UEFA European Under-19 Championship in Georgia, Florentino was part of the Portugal team that finished runners-up to England.[21] He was also in the squad for the following year's event, beating Italy 4–3 in the final after extra time,[22][23] being named in the Team of the Tournament.[24]

Florentino was named in the under-21 squad for the 2021 UEFA European Under-21 Championship. He was named for the team of the tournament as Portugal finished as runners-up after losing in the final 1–0 to Germany, on 6 June 2021.[25]

In October 2022, he was named in Portugal's preliminary 55-man squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.[26]

Style of play

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Florentino is known for being a tenacious and hardworking player who usually operates in front of his team's defense, acting as a defensive shield for his more attacking teammates. Known for his aggressive tackling, game-reading ability, and anticipation, he excels at breaking down plays, marking opponents, and timing his challenges effectively. In this role, he serves as a vital link, connecting defense and attack as the ball moves through the team.[27][28]

His strengths include his positional awareness, tactical discipline, intelligence, energy, and ball-winning skills. Beyond his defensive abilities, Florentino is a calm and precise passer with a keen sense of how to transition between attack and defense. He consistently makes accurate passes, quickly analyzing the positions of his teammates and opponents to choose the best option. Florentino also studies his opponents' movements, body posture, and available passing lanes before challenging for the ball, often intercepting and dispossessing them efficiently. His playing style has drawn comparisons to Claude Makélélé and N'Golo Kanté.[27][28]

Personal life

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Florentino became engaged to his childhood sweetheart, Bruna Luís Guerreiro in 2020.[4]

Career statistics

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Club

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As of match played 11 February 2024[29]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup League cup Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Benfica B 2016–17 Liga Portugal 2 18 0 — — — — 18 0
2017–18 Liga Portugal 2 30 0 — — — — 30 0
2018–19 Liga Portugal 2 21 1 — — — — 21 1
Total 69 1 — — — — 69 1
Benfica 2018–19 Primeira Liga 11 1 0 0 0 0 3[a] 0 — 14 1
2019–20 Primeira Liga 10 0 2 0 2 0 3[b] 0 1[c] 0 18 0
2022–23 Primeira Liga 33 0 4 0 3 0 14[d] 0 — 54 0
2023–24 Primeira Liga 18 0 4 0 2 0 3[d] 0 1[c] 0 28 0
Total 72 1 10 0 7 0 23 0 2 0 114 1
Monaco (loan) 2020–21 Ligue 1 9 0 2 0 — — — 11 0
Getafe (loan) 2021–22 La Liga 22 0 2 0 — — — 24 0
Career total 172 2 14 0 7 0 23 0 2 0 218 2
  1. ^ Appearance(s) in UEFA Europa League
  2. ^ Two appearances in UEFA Champions League, one appearance in UEFA Europa League
  3. ^ a b Appearance in Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira
  4. ^ a b Appearances in UEFA Champions League

Honours

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Benfica[30]

Portugal[30]

Individual

References

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  1. ^ "FIFA U-20 World Cup Poland 2019: List of Players: Portugal" (PDF). FIFA. 13 June 2019. p. 16. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 February 2020.
  2. ^ https://www.asmonaco.com/joueurs/florentino-luis/ [bare URL]
  3. ^ "Florentino". S.L. Benfica. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
  4. ^ a b c d "Salzburg succeed Chelsea as Youth League winners". UEFA. 24 April 2017. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  5. ^ Liga Portugal LPFP (in Portuguese)
  6. ^ Sanches, João (1 February 2019). "Zlobin, Ferro, Florentino, and Jota permanently in the first team". S.L. Benfica. Retrieved 1 February 2019.
  7. ^ "Florentino assinala estreia: "Noite memorável"" [Florentino marks his debut: "Memorable night"]. A Bola (in Portuguese). 11 February 2019. Archived from the original on 13 February 2019. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  8. ^ Fernandes, Nuno (14 February 2019). "Benfica de Lage faz história na Turquia e tem os oitavos à vista" [Lage's Benfica make history in Turkey and have the round of 16 in sight]. Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). Retrieved 18 February 2019.
  9. ^ "Benfica-Santa Clara: João Félix chega aos 20 golos pela equipa principal" [Benfica-Santa Clara: João Félix reaches 20 goals for the first team]. O Jogo (in Portuguese). 18 May 2019. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
  10. ^ "Florentino, o 'polvo silencioso' que já tem lugar no 'aquário' da Luz". Sapo Desporto. 4 August 2022. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  11. ^ "Florentino Luis à l'AS Monaco". asmonaco.com (in French). AS Monaco FC. 25 September 2020. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  12. ^ "Mónaco quer segurar Florentino apesar do interesse do Valência" (in Portuguese). Radio Renascenca. 29 January 2021. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  13. ^ "COMUNICADO OFICIAL | Florentino Luis" [OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT | Florentino Luis] (in Spanish). Getafe CF. 31 August 2021.
  14. ^ "LaLiga, Rayo-Getafe: ⚽🐯 Falcao debuta con gol en el recital rayista ante un rival hundido (3-0)". eurosport. 18 September 2021.
  15. ^ ""No começo da época era o melhor médio do Getafe": a imagem que Florentino deixou em Espanha" (in Portuguese). Record. 6 May 2022. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  16. ^ "'Marca' avança que o Benfica quer 'reaver' Florentino já este mês" (in Portuguese). Record. 17 January 2022. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  17. ^ "Hat-trick de Gonçalo Ramos na goleada do Benfica". Diário de Notícias. 2 August 2022.
  18. ^ "Florentino Luís já lidera na Europa 🔥" (in Portuguese). Goal Point. 29 January 2021. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  19. ^ "Florentino: "Posso prometer aos benfiquistas que vou dar o meu máximo como dei até aqui"". Record (in Portuguese). 14 October 2022. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  20. ^ "Portugal sagra-se campeão europeu de sub-17!" [Portugal crowned European under-17 champions!]. Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). 21 May 2016. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  21. ^ "Portugal recupera dois golos e empata com Suécia" [Portugal come from two goals down and draw with Sweden]. Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). 8 July 2017. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  22. ^ "Quina becomes European champion for a second time!". West Ham United F.C.
  23. ^ "Italy 3–4 Portugal". UEFA. 30 July 2018. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
  24. ^ "Under-19 EURO team of the tournament". UEFA. 1 August 2018.
  25. ^ "Highlights, report: Germany beat Portugal for third U21 EURO title". UEFA.com. 6 June 2021. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
  26. ^ "The list of pre-selected squad for the 2022 World Cup: know all the names". Record. 23 October 2022. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
  27. ^ a b "Florentino Luís 2019/20 – scout report". 4 January 2020.
  28. ^ a b "Analysing Milan target Florentino Luis - The ideal midfield partner for Bennacer". 14 June 2020.
  29. ^ Florentino Luís at Soccerway
  30. ^ a b Florentino Luís at Soccerway. Retrieved 30 July 2018. Edit this at Wikidata
  31. ^ Kundert, Tom (27 May 2023). "Benfica crowned champions of Portugal". PortuGOAL. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  32. ^ Benfica 5–0 Sporting Lisbon Soccerway
  33. ^ Vaza, Marco (9 August 2023). "Benfica soube mudar para ganhar a Supertaça". Público (in Portuguese). Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  34. ^ "Team of the Tournament" (PDF). UEFA. p. 32. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 August 2014.
  35. ^ "Under-19 EURO team of the tournament". UEFA. Retrieved 8 February 2019.
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