Mourinho’s right-hand man could leave Benfica if Noronha Lopes wins | OneFootball

After João Noronha Lopes admitted that if he becomes president of Benfica, Mário Branco will leave, this time it was the turn of José Mourinho's right-hand man to assure all members and fans that he will not continue at Luz if Rui Costa is not re-elected.

"If you ask me if I will work with candidate Noronha Lopes, my answer is no. But I have to explain why. The truth is that I have been here at Benfica for just under four months and I constantly heard several candidates talking about the football structure," he said to the newspaper Record.

"Some of them, kindly, and I appreciate it, thought that I would have the skills to continue in Benfica's football structure if any of these candidates won the election for president, but candidate Noronha Lopes presented a football structure very early on in which, in principle, I would obviously not be the general director for him," he added.

Mário Branco then distanced himself from some members of Noronha Lopes's list: "And obviously, seeing the people he chose for the structure, some of whom I even know, I do not see myself, with my personality, my path, and my experience, working in a subordinate role to some of the people he chose."

He assured, adding: "I leave without any cost to Benfica, if that is the case. I have no problem admitting that. And, eventually, if they want, I will even make a transition. I have no problem. I came to serve Benfica, not to serve myself to Benfica."

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