Norberto Bercique Gomes Betuncal, or simply Beto, always had big dreams. Just like many boys from Lisbon, his biggest ambition was to play for Benfica, the giants of Portuguese and world football. And even though he’ll only turn 24 in January 2022, he’s already had his share of ups and downs. And although his beloved Benfica discarded him – he’s now thriving in one of the best leagues in the world. Beto is an Udinese star.
This lad of Bissau-Guinean descent joined Benfica’s youth setup in 2010 full of ambition and drive. But it didn’t end well. After only a year, the coaches at the Lisbon club estimated that there was never going to be a player out of the lanky Beto. He was shown the door and made to look for his fortune with a tiny amateur club URD Tires. It didn’t look good.Tuesday, 20.00: (1.33) Udinese (5.40) Crotone (8.50)After a few years of going nowhere, Beto was starting to give up on football altogether. He was very close to accepting a job at a KFC restaurant so he would secure a steady income. But there was something inside him that wouldn’t let him to go through with it. He decided to fight.In 2018 things started to change. He joined Clube Olimpico de Montijo in the Portuguese third division and the goals started to flow. In his only season with the club from just outside Lisbon. The scouts of Liga Portugal team Portimonense were watching and were quick to snap the tall striker up. Suddenly, Beto was in the big league – and on the radar of clubs from other countries.🔥 𝗜𝗹 𝗻𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼 𝗻𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗼 9️⃣ ⚪️⚫️🔥 𝙊𝙪𝙧 𝙣𝙪𝙢𝙗𝙚𝙧 9️⃣ ⚪️⚫️#ForzaUdinese #AlèUdin #Beto pic.twitter.com/rDo9ZuTMP0— Udinese Calcio (@Udinese_1896) December 12, 2021 After a year and a half of slowly working his way up to Portimonense’s starting eleven, scouts of Italian club Udinese spotted Beto and decided to take a chance on the man who’d scored 11 league goals last season. After finding the net two times in three games early this season, Udinese worked hard to secure a loan deal with an obligation to buy. On the very last day of the transfer window, Beto moved to northern Italy in a deal that will eventually cost $11.3 million.Beto took to life in Serie A like fish to water. He’s already got seven goals in 14 games and has notably scored a double in his team’s thrilling 4-4 draw with Lazio two weeks ago. Last weekend, he thought he’d scored a winner against Milan, only to see Zlatan Ibrahimovic strike late to steal a point and hog the headlines. But this is still very much Beto’s season.Beto scores against Milan (©AFP)Udinese are currently 15th in the standings and will need more goals from the Lisbon boy. And who knows, maybe there is someone at Benfica watching his goals and wishing they’d given him more time to prove himself. Maybe someone from KFC is watching too. But let us tell you who definitely is watching: Inter and Sassuolo. Two fellow Serie A clubs are amazed by Beto’s strong performances this season and will continue to keep track of his progress. It’s not unplausible that Udinese sell Beto for a considerable profit only a year after bringing him to Italy. Watch this space.