Benfica and Andre Almeida agreed to terminate the contract

The side makes the logo red.

Andre Almeida leaves Benfica. The right-back and the red badge have reached an agreement to terminate the contract.

The 32-year-old, Roger Schmidt’s third-choice right-back behind Alexander Bah and Gilberto, has been called up just five times this season and hasn’t added a single minute.

Thus ends André Almeida’s long association with the Eagles: 12 years. He was the longest serving player on the team.

By agreeing to be released on the last day of the winter market, which closed exactly on Tuesday (31 January), the right-back is free to sign with another club whenever he wants.

Andre Almeida, 32, arrived at Benfica in 2011 from Belenenses and, after half a season on loan to União de Leiria, ended up establishing himself in the main squad from the second half of the 2011/12 season, under Jorge. Isa.

Since then, he has made 308 appearances and scored 11 goals for the club, winning five national championship titles (2013/14, 2014/15, 2015/16, 2016/17 and 2018/19), four League Cups (2011/12, 2013/14, 2014/15 and 2015/16), two Portuguese Cups (2013/2014 and 2016/17) and one Super Cup (2017).

Moreover, he was the last survivor of the players who participated in the fourth championship in an unprecedented way, between 2014 and 2017, which allowed him to rise to the rank of captain of the Benfica team.

The winger, who began his professional career as a defensive midfielder, after stints with Lloris, Sporting and Alverca, renewed his contract with Benfica in 2019, and the contract expired in June of this year.

Almeida, who won eight international matches with Portugal and was present at the 2014 World Cup, consolidated himself in 11 Benfica for several years, especially between 2014 and 2020, before he suffered a serious knee injury, which sidelined him for 10 months.

The last official match in the red jersey dates back to April 30, 2022, after he played the full 90 minutes in the victory over Maritimo, 1-0, in the Spanish League.