The air around Benfica’s current election campaign has grown thick with accusations. João Noronha Lopes, a candidate vying for the club’s top spot, recently pulled no punches. He openly criticized the club’s official website for stepping into the political arena. According to Lopes, the site published a statement defending Rui Costa, another candidate. This, Lopes claims, is a “shameful use” of club resources.
Let’s be clear. Benfica’s official communication channels exist for the club, not for one person’s campaign. Lopes put it directly: Sport Lisboa e Benfica is not a tool for Rui Costa’s self-promotion. This isn’t just a small complaint; it touches on the very integrity of the election process and how club assets are managed.
A Matter of Speed and Priorities
Lopes highlighted a puzzling trend. He noted this particular statement was one of the fastest responses he’s seen from the current board in four years. This speed, he argued, isn’t surprising. He suggests Benfica’s communication team often moves quicker to defend its leaders than to defend the club itself. He pointed to a fresh example: months ago, the board waited weeks to defend Benfica’s rightful claim to the League and Portuguese Cup trophies. Yet, in this case, they didn’t hesitate to defend an election campaign action paid for with club money. That raises some eyebrows.
The core of the issue is the “Benfica District” project. Rui Costa presented this vision, but Lopes views it as a hurried election tactic. He believes it was thrown together quickly to meet the demands of Costa’s campaign schedule. Many things about the project, Lopes argues, remain unclear. Even a key figure, the Vice-President of the Lisbon City Council, called the “Benfica District” “a vague notion of a concept that one day might become a project.” This official confirmed that no actual project has been submitted to the Urbanism department.
Persistent Doubts and Unanswered Questions
The questions Lopes has about the “Benfica District” are sharp and direct:
- What real guarantees does Benfica have that a project of this suggested size will cost 220 million euros?
- What company will be responsible for managing this operation?
- What is the real financial viability of Benfica District?
- What benefits will Benfica need to offer to ensure the viability of what was presented?
- What real guarantees exist that this concept, once a credible project, can be licensed by the Lisbon City Council?
- What concrete technical definitions does what was presented have?
- What is the viability of the commercial area mentioned as part of the project, knowing it’s right next to the country’s largest commercial area?
- What costs has Benfica already taken on for the work done so far?
- How is it possible that Jaime Antunes, Vice-President for heritage until January this year, said he was completely unaware of a project that, according to Rui Costa, has been developed for 18 months?
For Lopes, this isn’t a new fight. He stated that in 2001, just like in 2025, his stance has been consistent. He believes in making informed decisions that serve the greater good of Sport Lisboa e Benfica. He makes it clear he will always question, seek answers, and defend the interests of the club and its members. He sums it up simply: election propaganda won’t change the facts. No matter how fast a statement is released, it can’t twist reality. For Lopes, Benfica deserves much, much more.