Benfica is gearing up for a big day on October 25th. That’s when six different groups of candidates will battle it out for the club’s top job. To ensure everything runs smoothly and fairly, the club rolled out its proposed new rules for the election this past Wednesday. Think of it as laying down the ground rules before the big game.
José Pereira da Costa, who heads up Benfica’s General Assembly Board (the MAG), chatted on BTV. He pointed out the three most important parts of these new rules. First, he emphasized trust. The elections are being set up so the next club president, whether taking office after October 25th or a potential second round, can thoroughly check the entire voting process. It’s like a full, open-book audit from start to finish, built right into the system.
Beyond transparency, there’s a big step for members far from home. Fans living in the islands or abroad who vote electronically will have their votes “encrypted.” This means their choices are super secure, ensuring everyone’s voice counts, no matter where they are. Pereira da Costa also made it clear that Benfica’s own media channels will be open to all candidates. This ensures everyone gets a fair platform to share their vision, which is a welcome move.
One crucial detail Pereira da Costa highlighted is that these new rules are just a proposal for now. While many candidates have announced their “intentions,” they haven’t made anything official yet. They have until October 10th to formally present their full proposals and candidate lists. Until then, any talk about the rules from candidates is just preliminary. The club will carefully check all those final lists and proposals for their details and procedures on that October 10th deadline.