Signing Bryan Cristante was exciting for many fans. Although quite a few of us had no idea who this young was, the reactions from those who were fans of AC Milan made it seem as if we had gotten a deal of a lifetime. AC Milan fans were quite upset that a bright prospect had chose to leave, in hopes of being able to play far more often then Milan were able to give him at the time.
The quote below describes Cristante, written my Matteo Bonetti for The Bleacher Report,
He doesn't neglect defensive duties and seems composed beyond his years when he has possession of the ball. As a matter of fact, his vision is the one trait which is making Milan fans salivate the most. The way he picks out passes despite being surrounded by defenders is remarkable.
While we cannot base a player on just a quote, it is interesting to see how much praise is given to a player, who at the time was 19 and even before, had been on a Milan side while aged only 18. Yet at 20 has not been able to break into Benfica's first team despite the fact that there have been opportunities to do so. He has under his belt, 15 official appearances for Benfica under Jorge Jesus, although most of those are of no real substance. His last match for Benfica in a league game came in February of this year. Many had put the situation at the feet of Jorge Jesus, citing his ability to pass up youth and his favored squad as a reason why Cristante had not played.
As Rui Vitoria was announced as the new manager, many fans had hope for the players who did not play under Jesus. Would we see players like Cristante, Djuricic, and even Nelson Oliveira? While all made the pre-season trip and played, it was both Djuricic and Oliveira who had been on loan the season before. While neither had impressed in their loans, Benfica were still able to send Nelson away once more while retaining Djuricic, under the guise that perhaps no one quite wanted him, leaving Benfica stuck. Yet for Cristante the rumors swirled. Both Inter and Napoli were heavily linked to loans for Cristante and many Benfica fans were under the assumption he would go. If he wouldn't play for the B team and he wasn't wanted in the A team, the only logical solution for a player of his age is to go on loan.
And yet that didn't happen. He stayed past the transfer deadline which lead to lots of head scratching on the part of Benfica fans. It was natural to then expect Cristante to play, even as a substitute. However, we have not seen Cristante play a single game for Rui Vitoria. At times he has not made the bench or even the call ups. Cristante plays both the 6 and 8 role, something in an interview for Maisfutbol, he said he was comfortable in both positions and was still figuring out which was best for himself. In a team that desperately needs an 8, it is hard to understand why Vitoria has not worked with Cristante to form him in the role and to make him a star player. It then leads to the wondering if Cristante is simply not good enough. It's a big accusation and one that I don't believe. If he wasn't good enough, I think other teams would not be trying to sign him from Benfica. Not only that but if Benfica felt he was of no use, they would have tried to either send him on loan or sell him if possible. But none of that has happened. Instead he has been at a team that doesn't play him, leaving his talents to waste away without ever giving him a chance.
A new interview with his agent has come out, claiming that Napoli are still interested in trying to sign him, although it is nothing concrete. However a meeting is to take place with Benfica to discuss Cristante and his lack of opportunities, as Cristante is reportedly not happy. It is understandable that a player who left one team due to lack of playing time would be upset at his current situation. There may be more to the story that we simply do not know, but whatever is going on, should be resolved as quickly as possible, with the best interest of the player happening. If Benfica and Rui Vitoria are simply not interested in him, then he should be sent on loan or sold in January, allowing the player to further his career. If Benfica and Rui Vitoria think there is talent then perhaps the fans should be allowed to see him play before we make a decision. It is hard to decide what I think is best when I honestly don't even remember how well he played in his last match. It is not to say he will be the next midfield genius or that he will somehow make Benfica the greatest team but I would think that we would see him every so often, just to see how well he has adapted and trained.
I hope that he is able to stay and play at Benfica, if he has the ability. It is never fun to see a player who is not given quite the opportunities while we have seen other players. If there is something that we as fans do not know then perhaps the club should make that available to fans. After all, we just want to see a player be given the potential to play and not to be tossed aside for no reason.