Freddy Adu’s $2 million move to Benfica was a good piece of business for everyone involved: MLS, the Portuguese giant and the player. As SI.com’s Grant Wahl says, it was always unlikely that an MLS team would be willing to drop $750K (his new salary per a two-year contract extension with the league) and a Designated Player slot on an 18-year old player whose always said his future lies in Europe, and whose career is still largely “about potential.” But a club like Benfica, with no salary cap to worry about, could certainly afford to invest in potential. As for Freddy, well, he got his wish: he’s going to Europe, and to a pretty big club at that.
But why now? Adu says his advisors helped him make the decision. “They were like, ‘You know what? You’re hot right now, your stock is high and Benfica is one of the biggest clubs in the world, so what are you waiting for?'” Indeed, Benfica is Portugal’s biggest club, boasting the biggest stadium (Estado da Luz, capacity: 65,000), the most First Division titles (31), and one of Portugal’s oldest traditions. Freddy’s job is to help bring the championship back to the Lisbon club, which has gone to rival FC Porto each of the last two years.
So far, the experience has been a good one for Adu, who was mobbed by fans and media when he arrived. “I was very surprised,” he said. “I didn’t know they knew I was coming. It’s funny. We don’t think in those terms, because when you play in MLS, soccer isn’t the No. 1 sport in America.” He says that language also shouldn’t be a problem, as half of his teammates speak English. After his first practice, Coach Fernando Santos came up and asked him what position he likes to play. “Those are the sweetest words I ever heard,” he said.