Roger Schmidt had a fantastic debut year as head coach of Benfica. In Portugal, the former PSV coach became the national champion and reached the knockout stage of the Champions League. This earned him the prestigious title of Coach of the Year.
With Benfica, Schmidt became the national champion, something he couldn't achieve with PSV in two seasons. However, the German coach dominated the Portuguese league. Under Schmidt's guidance, Benfica won an impressive 28 out of 34 league matches. Additionally, the top club scored the most goals (82) while conceding the fewest (20).
Benfica also made a strong impression in the Champions League. In the group stage, Schmidt's team finished as the group winner in a tough group that included Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain. After convincingly eliminating Club Brugge in the round of 16, they were defeated by eventual finalists Internazionale in the quarter-finals.
Schmidt received much praise in Portugal for his accomplishments. The coach, sometimes misunderstood in the Netherlands, was honored at the Portuguese football gala on Monday evening. He was bestowed with the prestigious title of Coach of the Year and left the stage with a radiant smile.
Furthermore, Schmidt is not the only former PSV figure who has enhanced his coaching career elsewhere. Mark van Bommel was also recognized for his achievements. The Antwerp FC coach was named Coach of the Year in Belgium, thus crowning a dream season.
