Argentine international Nicolas Otamendi, captain of Benfica, was injured at an unexpected moment during the team's coronation ceremony for the Portuguese league title, after fasting for 3 seasons.
Benfica won the Portuguese league title after winning in the last round against Santa Clara 3-0, to raise his tally to 87 points, two points behind rivals Porto champions .
Otamendi stepped up in front of his teammates to lift the league shield as captain, while the plaque reading "Champions" fell on his ankle.
Remarkably, the player himself continued to celebrate by raising the shield, to the point that his teammates did not pay attention to his pain, then lifted the banner from his ankle and continued their celebration.
Fortunately for Otamendi, his injury was not serious.
Nicolás #Otamendi 🇦🇷💪 , al estilo Messi para levantar la copa para #Benfica 🔴 , que se quedó con la #PrimeiraLiga 🇵🇹 . Fue la primera para Ota en el club y su cuarta en el fútbol portugués.
📹 Liga de Portugal pic.twitter.com/TG5k585rV3
— ESPN Fútbol Argentina (@ESPNFutbolArg) May 28, 2023
Benfica strengthened its position as the most crowned team in the Portuguese league, reaching the 38th title, 8 titles behind Porto.
Otamendi, who arrived at Benfica from Manchester City in 2020, has made 46 appearances in all competitions for the Portuguese team this season, scoring two goals and providing one assist.
This is Ottamiendi's first league title with Benfica, and the fourth in his career, having previously won three consecutive titles with Porto in the 2010-2011, 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 seasons.
The 35-year-old defender had an exceptional season, having won the 2022 World Cup in Qatar with Argentina last year.
But at club level, despite winning the league title, Benfica bid farewell to the Portuguese Cup and Champions League quarter-finals, against Sporting Braga and Inter Milan respectively.