The Benfica elections taking place this Saturday are already the most competitive ever. Until 10pm, Benfica fans choose who will be the club’s next leader. There are six candidates for leadership and all of them have already exercised their right to vote.
As Elections for Benfica’s corporate bodies (Board of Directors, Board of the General Assembly and Fiscal Council) and statutory bodies (Remuneration Committee) are taking place this saturdaybetween ace 8h30 e 22h00in 107 voting locations.
Rui Costacurrent president and leader of the G list, Martin Mayer (B), João Diogo Manteigas (C), Cristóvão Carvalho (D), the previous president Luís Filipe Vieira (And and João Noronha Lopes (F) are the candidates for the leadership of Benficawhile João Ferreira Leite heads list A, only candidate for the Board of the General Assembly.
What did the candidates say?
The president of Benfica and list G candidate, Rui Costa, was the first of the candidates to go to Estádio da Luz to vote, where he said he was happy and had not prepared victory or defeat speeches.
It was just after 9 am when Rui Costa addressed journalists, before entering the pavilion where he went to vote, highlighting that it was “a very important day in the life of Benfica” and assuming that he was confident.
“I’ve been there since the beginning. But above all, it’s an important day for Benfica and that everything goes well. I ran the campaign that I considered necessary, now it’s time to wait for the members’ vote. I’m happy. Among the Benfica fans, I’m fine”, said Rui Costa
O former president of Benfica Luís Filipe Vieira congratulated Benfica fans on the “biggest electoral act in the club’s history”when he was preparing to exercise his right to vote at Casa do Benfica in Seixal.
“The Benfica fans are all to be congratulated. It will certainly be the biggest electoral act ever. And in the end we will all see what will happen”, said the former president and candidate for the elections for the leadership of Clube da Luz, who only exercised his right to vote at around 3:00 pm.
Luís Filipe Vieira arrived at Casa do Benfica at around 1:40 pm, joining a group of supporters who minutes before had already taken up a position in a line with hundreds of Benfica fans who were patiently waiting, some for around three hours, to be able to vote.
Benfica’s presidential candidate João Noronha Lopes believes that the elections will go down in history as the most competitive clubs in the world.
“Today, we will definitely break the voting record in all clubs in the world”, said the leader of list F, before entering the pavilion at Estádio da Luz, in Lisbon, to vote in the elections for the four-year period 2025-2029.
For the candidate for leadership of the ‘eagles’, the members’ support is a sign of the “greatness of Benfica”, which he called “the biggest democratic club in the world”, reminding people who are voting, not just in Lisbon, but “in every corner of the country and abroad”.
The list B candidate for the presidency of Benfica, Martim Mayer, stated that he considers it “difficult” for the vote to be decided in the first round and was satisfied with the current voter turnout.
At 12:00, Martim Mayer exercised his right to vote at Estádio da Luz, having made statements to the media present.
“It will be difficult [haver vencedor à primeira volta]but I believe that democracy will win above all. The members decide who decides the president. I don’t feel that Benfica is divided, six candidates demonstrate that we have a lively democracy, with many people interested in the future of the club”, he analyzed
The C list candidate for the presidency of Benfica, João Diogo Manteigas, said he hopes to be elected this year showing happiness at the turnout of members at the election.
João Diogo Manteigas, who spoke to the press at 1:20 pm, shortly before going to vote, recalled that he was the first to present his candidacy.
“I’ve been applying for more than a year. All the feedback we received was largely positive, even from members who weren’t going to vote for us. They thanked us. We defended the management when we had to defend them, the football players and the sports, we were always present when they asked us. Benfica has always made strength out of its weaknesses. I’m young, but I’m irreverent and I have a lot of Benfiquism to give”, he stated.
Cristóvão Carvalho, list D candidate for the presidency of Benfica, stated that he hopes to see the record of voters for the presidency of Benfica doubledwhich amounts to 40,085 voters.
“Benfica fans come and vote. It is very important that the next president of Benfica is elected with the greatest legitimacy possible. From the tables that are open in Portugal and around the world, it is a day of great Benfica support”, he appealed.
Cristóvão Carvalho spoke to the press before going to vote, at 11:30 am, showing himself satisfied with the “big day of great Benfiquismo”.
With Lusa
