Benfica President Responds to Rival Election Claims

Rui Costa Dismisses Election Promises

Benfica’s president, Rui Costa, has expressed skepticism regarding the statements made by an opposing candidate in the forthcoming election.

Presidential hopeful Noronha Lopes has claimed that he has secured the participation of former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp and Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva as part of his campaign team.

Rui Costa’s Response

Rui Costa stated, “That is simply not true; our members should not pay attention to these baseless pledges. Throughout my tenure, I have aimed to recruit talent from our youth academy.”

He added, “João Félix was on the verge of coming back to Benfica, but we lost out to Saudi Arabia since we were unable to match their offer. I respect João’s choice. The same applies to Nélson Semedo. Should Benfica get the chance to welcome Bernardo Silva back, I believe no president of Benfica would turn down that opportunity.”

Costa pointedly remarked, “What good would it do me to promise player A, B, C, or D? These are athletes under contract with uncertain futures. Absolutely not. One thing I will not do is make promises to Benfica supporters that I cannot fulfill.”