Adel Taarabt has been given a new lease on life at Benfica Lisbon after weeks of uncertainty surrounding his future at the club. Once sidelined and seemingly unwanted by the first-team management, the Moroccan midfielder received a surprise call-up on Saturday for the 27th round of the Portuguese Primeira Liga against Tondela. Making his return to top-flight action, Taarabt came on as a substitute in the 71st minute, helping Benfica secure a narrow 1-0 victory.
The opportunity came under the guidance of Bruno Lage, who also coaches Benfica B and has worked closely with Taarabt over a long period. Lage praised the 29-year-old midfielder’s determination to return to top-level football, acknowledging the challenges he has faced in recent years.
“As the B team coach, I’ve always seen him as someone willing to come back because he’s lost a lot of time. He’s 29, he’s had a brilliant career, but he’s lost a lot of time. It’s his responsibility, and he knows it. He wants to get back on track,” Lage said during the pre-match press conference. He added that the decision to include Taarabt in the first-team squad was deliberate: “When we were looking at who could come with us, we thought we should give him a chance. From now until then, it depends on him. He won a match with the B team. Playing for Benfica is very easy: you just have to train at 1000%.”
Taarabt now faces the challenge of capitalizing on this opportunity. After a period away from the spotlight, consistent performances and maximum effort in training will be essential if he hopes to reclaim a regular role in Benfica’s first team. The Moroccan’s talent is unquestioned, but his return to prominence will depend entirely on his work ethic and determination to seize the chance that Lage has offered him.
This brief but significant appearance signals that Benfica still sees potential in Taarabt, and it will be up to him to prove that he can overcome past setbacks and contribute meaningfully to the club’s ambitions moving forward.
