“Reminds me of Lahm“: Schmidt Raves About Grimaldo Ahead of Benfica Clash
Bayer Leverkusen manager Roger Schmidt compared his player Alejandro Grimaldo to German football legend Philipp Lahm, praising the full-back’s playmaking abilities and intelligence ahead of Leverkusen’s Champions League match against Benfica Lisbon on Wednesday evening (9 p.m. / DAZN).Schmidt, who previously coached Grimaldo at Benfica, highlighted the Spaniard’s impact since joining the Werkself in 2023.
“He reminds me of Philipp Lahm becuase he is a full-back with playmaking qualities. He is always on the move. With his game intelligence he can use the players around him and make them better,” Schmidt told Bild newspaper.
Schmidt believes Grimaldo was previously “somewhat underestimated internationally,” and is pleased to see him receiving more recognition. The coach noted Grimaldo’s increased influence on Leverkusen’s game following the departures of Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong.
While acknowledging grimaldo’s remarkable free-kick ability – “He also took incredibly good free kicks for me, his shooting technique is exceptional. His balls are challenging to calculate” – Schmidt emphasized that the player is “much more than just a free kick artist,” praising his consistency and mental fortitude: “He doesn’t waver either in the game or in training. You rarely see that.”
Grimaldo won four Portuguese championships and one cup during his seven years with Benfica before moving to Leverkusen. Schmidt himself secured a championship title with Grimaldo at Benfica.
