Rui Costa wins Benfica presidential election with record turnout but second vote needed | OneFootball

Against all forecasts, sitting Benfica president Rui Costa won the initial election for the next president of Portugal’s biggest football club by a handsome margin.

However, the former Portugal international failed to obtain an absolute majority in the ballot, meaning a second election will take place in a fortnight but involving only the two most voted candidates, Costa and João Noronha Lopes.

Current Benfica president Rui Costa (Photo: Harold Cunningham/Getty Images)

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A total of six candidates were competing for the chance to guide the fortunes of the Lisbon giants over the next four years. Throughout the campaign businessman João Noronha Lopes, who had also run for Benfica president in 2020, was touted as favourite to win the election.

One league championship in four seasons, an erratic transfer policy and the role played by Rui Costa in the regime of disgraced former president Luís Filipe Vieira were cited as reasons why the club’s members were expected to opt for a change in the top management.

But 53-year-old Costa, a legendary Number 10 in his playing days for Benfica and the Seleção, won significantly more votes than Noronha.

Such was his margin of victory that speculation was rife that Noronha Lopes may withdraw his candidature, doing away with the need for a second ballot.

Lopes quickly rubbished those rumours: “You don’t give up on Benfica and I won’t give up on Benfica. My energy, conviction and determination are the same as in June when I presented my candidature. The result is not what I wanted, but it must be mentioned that almost 60% of Benfiquistas voted against the current direction the club is taking.”

Rui Costa did not have the same interpretation of the results. “With six candidates it was almost inevitable that there would be a second vote. I’m very happy and consider it a vote of confidence. I’m also proud and honoured in relation to the turnout.”

A total of 85,710 Benfica members voted, which set a world record for a presidential election of a football club, beating the previous record held by Barcelona of 57,088 in 2010.

“It was an extraordinary mobilisation that showed the world the dimension of the club,” said Costa.

The election that will definitively decide the next Benfica president will take place on Saturday 8 November.