Two former Benfica academy teammates, now on opposing sides in France’s Ligue 1, are set to renew their rivalry this weekend, yet their deep friendship remains a highlight of their professional journeys.
João Neves, a midfielder for Paris Saint-Germain, and Tiago Gouveia, who plays for Nice, will face each other in a Ligue 1 match on Saturday. Both players grew up together in the youth system of Portuguese club Benfica.
Gouveia offered a humorous take on Neves’s pre-Paris dietary habits. “Signing for PSG did him a lot of good,” Gouveia told ‘Le Parisien’. “João was so addicted to mixed sandwiches and supermarket lasagnas that I was getting worried about him. He couldn’t have made a better decision than to stop that and go to Paris.”
Neves confirmed these culinary choices in the same interview, emphasizing his close bond with Gouveia. “Tiago is more than a brother; he’s part of the family,” Neves stated. He explained that when he left the Benfica academy, he lived alone for the first time and lacked cooking skills.
“For practically a year, I ate only mixed sandwiches,” Neves recounted, now able to laugh about the situation. He acknowledged he has his own stories about Gouveia but prefers to keep most of them private.
The two friends also recalled a moment of significant mutual support during last year’s Champions League final. While Neves was then with Benfica, Gouveia, along with fellow players António Silva and Tomás Araújo, traveled to Munich to support him.
“Nothing could stop us from going to Munich that day,” Gouveia said. “It was one of the most important moments of João’s life. We not only wanted to be there, but it was also our role as friends to be there to support them.”
Neves acknowledged some controversy arose from his friends wearing PSG shirts at the time. However, he emphasized the gesture’s true meaning. “What I take from it is the sign of friendship it represents. I am very proud to have friends like them,” Neves concluded.