Leonor Pinhão lays into Proença at Benfica's stadium: cheek... | OneFootball

The presence of Pedro Proença in the presidential box at the Estádio da Luz during Benfica-Hearts continues to spark debate. The FPF president was at Benfica’s stadium after the controversy surrounding the leaked audio recordings, and the way he was placed in the presidential stand did not go unnoticed, giving rise to several interpretations. Leonor Pinhão addressed the episode and argued that the former referee’s seat in the sixth row of the presidential stand was likely negotiated with the Club, ruling out other theories about a possible decision by the hosts or security concerns.

"Much has been said about the presence of the FPF president in the presidential box at the Luz for Benfica-Hearts. Some say he was sent further back as punishment imposed by the hosts. Others insist it was for security reasons that he was not seated in the front row next to the Benfica president, as is customary, so as to prevent the fans in the stands from spotting him at first sight and some kind of riot breaking out. But the most likely explanation is that Pedro Proença’s place in the sixth row of the box at the Luz was negotiated with Benfica. In fact, nothing else would be expected", she wrote in her column for Record newspaper.

The well-known Eagles supporter also highlighted the makeup of the delegation accompanying the federation president and the presence of figures tied to Benfica’s history. "As a precaution against unrest, the federal entourage accompanying the good Samaritan who went to the Judicial Police 27 times because of ‘Benfica cases’ included enough Club figures to serve as a cushion for him in case any expression of displeasure got out of hand. Jorge Jesus, a champion with Benfica, João Vieira Pinto, a champion with Benfica, and Lourenço Pereira Coelho, another champion with Benfica, stood by Proença through thick and thin. Fortunately, nothing happened. I say that without a trace of sarcasm," it reads.

Leonor Pinhão also reflected on the meaning of Pedro Proença’s return to the Luz and on the impact the position he occupied in the stand may have in the future. "What matters is that Proença already went to the Luz in the post-audio affair and displayed his bravery — some will call it shamelessness — from the sixth row of the presidential stand. He will certainly return to Benfica’s home in 2026/2027. The row number in which he is seated will say a lot about how the season unfolds for Benfica, both from a sporting and a political point of view. Above the sixth row means double the work for Rui Costa and crisis at the Luz. Below the sixth row means good news for the home side", she said.

Finally, the columnist turned her attention to Marco Silva and the Benfica coach’s priorities, highlighting two players she considers fundamental to the project. "Marco Silva has the advantage of clarity. In his conversation with journalists after the game against the Scots, the successor to Mourinho, Lage, Schmidt, Veríssimo and Jesus, the coaches of the Rui Costa era, could not have been clearer. Vangelis Pavlidis and Andreas Schjelderup are essential to him. Losing them in the market would be a severe blow to Benfica’s ambitions and those of its coach. The Greek is ‘a very important player who likes being where he is.’ As for the Norwegian, he said he did not need those ‘twenty-five minutes to understand the player’s quality.’ Now, sell them…", she concluded.

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