Frederico Varandas and Rui Costa in surprise gesture at Benfica v Sporting | OneFootball

Frederico Varandas and Rui Costa sat side by side in the stands at Estádio da Luz, to watch Benfica vs Sporting. The two presidents of the Lisbon clubs have exchanged a few barbs this season, mainly regarding refereeing in Portugal.

Contrary to what had been reported by the national press, Frederico Varandas and Rui Costa were together during the Benfica vs Sporting match. The two had already arrived at almost the same time at the Presidents’ Summit, where they showed some closeness.

It was reportedly Rui Costa who extended the invitation to Frederico Varandas to sit by his side at Estádio da Luz. The two were accompanied by Reinaldo Teixeira, President of Liga Portugal, and by Toni, one of Pedro Proença’s vice-presidents at the Portuguese Football Federation.

According to the newspaper Record, cordiality prevailed between the presidents of Sporting and Benfica. Neither Frederico Varandas nor Rui Costa had any exaggerated reactions to the incidents of the match—including the goals—which they watched calmly.

Frederico Varandas started the day with the rest of the green and white delegation. The Sporting president went to the Cristiano Ronaldo Academy, where he had lunch with the team and the staff of the Lions. Only afterwards did he head to Estádio da Luz, where he watched the Lisbon derby alongside Rui Costa.

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