"Cristiano Ronaldo or Eusebio?" - Manchester City star Bernardo Silva makes bold claim as he picks between the two Portuguese greats
Manchester City star Bernardo Silva's love for Benfica was very evident when he was put on the spot by being asked to pick between Cristiano Ronaldo and Eusebio da Silva Ferreira.
Ronaldo made his name at Sporting Clube de Portugal, where he was promoted to the first team at the tender age of 16. He made 31 appearances for them, scoring five times and picking up six assists before making a £12.24 million move to Manchester United in 2003.
Eusebio is a legend of Portuguese football and is considered one of the greatest players of all time. He made more than 300 appearances for Benfica, helping them win 11 league titles, five cup titles, and a European Cup. He won the Ballon d'Or in 1965 and was runner-up in 1962 and 1966.
Manchester City's Silva is a Benfica product. He made his debut for them at the age of 19 in the 2013–14 season, before moving to Monaco the following season.
When asked by ESPN in an interview to pick between Ronaldo and Eusebio, Silva was quick to call the former the best player his country has ever produced but said he couldn't ignore the latter due to his club allegiance. He said:
"Cristiano is the best Portuguese player ever but Eusebio is from my team, he has a statue on the surroundings of my stadium, I cannot answer that, sorry guys."
It was a similar theme when he was asked to pick between Rui Costa and Luis Figo, as he stated:
"Rui Costa is from Benfica, sorry. I love Figo, as well."
When asked to pick between Manchester City's archrivals Manchester United and Benfica's long-standing competitors Sporting CP, Silva picked the former, saying:
"I have to go with United, sorry."
Barcelona eye Manchester City's Bernardo Silva: Reports
FC Barcelona are reportedly keen on signing Manchester City's Bernardo Silva as manager Xavi Hernandez wants to use the Portuguese star alongside Lionel Messi and Robert Lewandowski next season.
With Messi touted for a return to Barca for the last few weeks, El Nacional have reported that Xavi has asked the board to sign Silva at all costs this summer. Man City, however, are reluctant to make a decision on the player's future before the end of the 2022-23 season.
Silva is open to joining Barcelona, as per the aforementioned report. After Man City's 4-0 win against Real Madrid, he did not rule out a transfer in the summer. He told RMC Sport:
"My plan is to complete well the season, win the Premier League and then the two finals. … then, this summer we will see what happens."