The former international was elected president of the club by the “socios”, with 84% of the votes, replacing the former president suspected of scam.
Le Monde
The “socios” of Benfica Lisbon have elected the former international Portuguese Rui Costa as President, a few months after the resignation of their former officer suspected of scam, announced the most popular team of Portugal at night from Saturday 9 to Sunday, October 10th.
The former 49-year-old player, comfortably won the election attended by a little more than 40,000 societies, a record in the history of the club founded in 1904, by harvesting 84.48% of Voice against 12.24% for his opponent, Francisco Benitez.
His mandate will last four years, until 2025. First club player (1991-1994, 2006-2008), Rui Costa was then vice-president and finally interim at the head of the direction after the Arrest of Luis Filipe Vieira in July.
The former president caught up by business
The former leader is targeted by an investigation for abuse of confidence, aggravated scam, falsification, tax evasion and money laundering open by the Portuguese judicial authorities and baptized “red card”. During the summer, he was placed in custody, assigned at residence, then ended up resigning from the club.
After having a forty searches in the regions of Lisbon and Braga (North), the parquet floor has reported business and financing transactions worth more than 100 million euros that may have provoked high losses for the state and several companies. Aged 72, Mr. Vieira led Benfica for eighteen years, a record of longevity with seven Portugal Championship titles.
His presidency, marked in his debut by the financial recovery of the club and the construction of a new training center, had already been tarnished by several judicial affairs for money laundering, tax evasion, corruption and influence trading .