A curious disagreement has erupted at Benfica, shining a light on who truly steers the ship. It’s all about television money, and the big question is: should the club lead the way, or hit the brakes? Cristóvão Carvalho, a man hoping to lead Benfica, didn’t hold back this past Wednesday. He took aim at current president Rui Costa, saying his move to pause the TV rights deal was the wrong one.
Carvalho believes Benfica should be out in front on this issue. He sees the club as a giant, with an unmatched fan base. If Benfica isn’t part of the central TV rights deal, he argues, the whole system loses much of its value. For him, staying on the sidelines just isn’t an option for a club of Benfica’s standing. He made these points clear in a statement as he runs for the top job.
Benfica, under Rui Costa, sent a letter to the Portuguese Professional Football League (LPFP). The news agency Lusa got hold of this letter. Benfica asked for an immediate stop to the centralization process for TV rights. They want a deep discussion to create a new, better model for Portuguese football’s future success. This sounds like a pause, but Carvalho thinks Benfica needs to push ahead.
He argues that the club must lead this process. Benfica should set the pace and make sure it gets what its size truly represents. Carvalho said the time is now for strong action and vision. He believes this is how Benfica can prove its importance and its role in history, once again.
This debate over TV rights isn’t just a two-person show. Other candidates for the Benfica presidency, João Diogo Manteigas and João Noronha Lopes, also spoke up. Their views were quite different. Manteigas gave a nod to Rui Costa’s board for asking to halt the TV rights process. He seemed to agree with the current leadership.
But João Noronha Lopes saw things differently. He felt Benfica’s request to pause the deal came too late. For him, it showed that the current president had not acted sooner. This whole centralization model for TV rights began in March 2021. It was based on a deal signed by the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) and the LPFP in January of that same year. The goal is to have all TV rights centralized by the 2027/28 season.