Rui Costa refuses to face Noronha Lopes before Benfica elections: Why? | OneFootball

João Noronha Lopes, in an interview with CMTV, declared 23 million euros in income in recent years. At a campaign lunch, Rui Costa refused to adopt a similar strategy, since he “does not have to justify his life” to Benfica fans.

“Great, positive, always with strength, always with spirit, always with Benfiquismo, with the motivation that I have always had working at this club, defending and representing this club, so I am very satisfied, more satisfied than when I got here. I see the team we have managed to build, so I am very proud of that as well. I believe we have created a team with great competence, with great Benfiquismo, with a great sense of responsibility, so I am very motivated and very satisfied,” he said, about his state of mind before the elections.

Questioned about Noronha Lopes’s decision to reveal his income from recent years, Rui Costa refused to adopt a similar strategy: “I won’t comment. I don’t know what need another candidate may have; I don’t have to justify anything. Now, for some reason, he is doing it, but that’s a question for him, not me. I have run my campaign talking about Benfica and about myself. Perhaps they feel the need to justify what they think needs justifying. I don’t have that need to justify.”

“Why do I have to justify my life to Benfica fans? I don’t have to justify anything to anyone in that regard, because that’s my life and it’s private, it has nothing... I have always been transparent with people. I never stopped being so,” he fired back.

Rui Costa also assured he is better prepared than four years ago: “Inevitably, the more years one has in a career, the better and more prepared one becomes. My sense of responsibility toward this club has always been enormous. In all my areas, in everything in which I represented the club, in the many areas in which I represented it. And if on the first day I assumed the Benfica presidency I didn’t have the conditions—and much more now—to be president of a club of this size, I wouldn’t be president out of selfishness. So, if four years ago I wasn’t afraid to take on that responsibility and felt prepared to steady Benfica at that moment, it is even easier for me today to work for Benfica from now on.”

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.