At a time when the results of two voting stations still need to be determined, Cristóvão Carvalho appears as the least voted of the six candidates to the leadership of the “eagles”.
Benfica’s presidential candidate Cristóvão Carvalho acknowledged, this Sunday, that he had fallen short of what he had hoped for in Saturday’s election and assumed that Rui Costa and João Noronha Lopes will compete in the second round of voting.
“The result was far from what we hoped for, but we left this process with the conviction and certainty that we had carried out a serious, honest campaign and always focused on the best for Sport Lisboa e Benfica”, reacted the List D candidate for the Lisbon club’s Management, in a post on social media.
When the results of two voting stations, both at Estádio da Luz, have yet to be entered into the system, Cristóvão Carvalho is the least voted of the six candidateswith just 0.18% of preferences (113 voters, corresponding to 2,170 votes).
“I would like, first of all, to congratulate Rui Costa for the extraordinary result and João Noronha Lopes for being able to pass to the second round. I know that I wanted much more, but the partners are sovereign. In this second round, I hope that they honor the responsibility that the partners entrusted to them and that they always put Benfica above any personal interest”, he said.
Cristóvão Carvalho left “a word of respect for the remaining candidates who do not move forward”, highlighting that “plurality strengthens the club and this is healthy and necessary”, in addition to thanking the members who voted for his List D for the Board, the only social body for which he ran.
“The project does not end here. We will continue to work, listen and defend the participation of members in the life of the club. This path does not end with an election. The seed has been sown and we will continue to take care of it”, he concluded.
Elections with record voting
Rui Costa, current president and leader of List G, Martim Mayer (B), João Diogo Manteigas (C), Cristóvão Carvalho (D), previous president Luís Filipe Vieira (E) and João Noronha Lopes (F) are the candidates for the leadership of Benfica, while João Ferreira Leite heads List A, solely a candidate for the Board of the General Assembly. If none of the candidates receives more than 50% of the votes in the election, a second round will be held. between the two most voted, on November 8th.
The number of members’ votes increases depending on seniority, with 46,421 members entitled to three votes, 30,013 to 10 votes, 56,703 to 20 votes and 27,045 to 50 votes, according to the electoral register.
