Benfica cleared in Saco Azul case, but Rui Costa isn't 100% happy: why | OneFootball

Rui Costa reacted this Thursday to the court’s decision in the Saco Azul case, which cleared all the defendants, including Benfica, expressing relief at the outcome, but without forgetting the accumulated impact over the last decade.

On leaving the Campus da Justiça in Lisbon, the Benfica president highlighted the weight of time and the consequences associated with the case: “10 years is a long time, in every respect. In a case like this, both collectively, in Benfica’s name, and individually for the people who were on trial, it is obvious that it is many years. In sport it involves much more than just image, it affects every sporting area, and I have no doubt at all that Benfica suffered greatly over these years because of this, only to arrive at this result”.

Despite the acquittal, Rui Costa was keen to stress that the damage caused does not disappear with the court’s decision: “Above all, it is a victory for Benfica. The result is what it is, what we expected, but everything in which Benfica was harmed over these ten years cannot be erased. Both in terms of public image and in sporting terms”.

The Eagles’ leader also addressed the fans: “When a club of Benfica’s size is involved in a case of this magnitude, its image is harmed. It takes away pride, or creates doubt among Benfica supporters. Today we should be happy, because once again Benfica was cleared. It did cause harm, yes, and in a very big way”.

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