Benfica presidential hopeful João Noronha Lopes has voiced concerns over new club statutes that could lead to the dismissal of the board, even as he expressed confidence in the members’ “good sense” and “sense of responsibility” to prevent such actions.
The newly enacted statutes, coinciding with the club’s elections, stipulate that the board can be removed if two successive annual reports and accounts are rejected by the general assembly of members.
Lopes, a 59-year-old manager, admitted on the ‘Visão Vermelha’ podcast that this particular provision is “not one of the ideas that makes me very satisfied.”
He noted that the statutes were the result of a consensus proposal from the previous board, with attempts made to “mitigate” their potential impact.
Despite his reservations, Lopes affirmed his trust in the members. “I have great confidence in the members,” he said, adding that the next president must play a “pedagogical role” to ensure responsible engagement.
He underscored the importance of respecting member decisions, contrasting the current process with previous statutes he suggested were “tailor-made” for former president Luís Filipe Vieira and approved by a mere 150 people.
“The day we stop respecting them, we will not be respecting democracy and representative bodies,” Lopes stated.
In line with his member-focused platform, Lopes announced he has selected an independent “ombudsman for members.” This individual, he said, possesses significant associative experience and legitimacy.
Lopes also pledged to decentralize the club’s presidency by holding two “open presidency” events outside Lisbon. He emphasized that the entire board, not just specific directors, must participate to listen to members, asserting that Benfica is “not a Lisbon club.”
On sports initiatives, Lopes revealed that Carlos Barroca is supporting his plan for a medium-to-long-term project to seek a EuroLeague bid for the club’s basketball team.
He clarified that this ambitious project, which he said involves “the person who knows most about basketball in Portugal,” would not compromise the budgets of other sports and would only proceed with committed partners.