Rui Costa hails Benfica’s new project but admits he’s not happy | OneFootball

Rui Costa showed great pride with the official launch of Benfica FM, the new radio station connected to the Clube da Luz, which debuts this Thursday, December 11. The president of the Eagles made statements about the new project, which went on air at 19:04.

"Mission accomplished and with great pride, with tremendous enthusiasm. This was a project that Benfica had for many years. In the last term, we tried to put it into practice. We are happy and optimistic. Once again, we are pioneers in such an important area. We are extremely proud. We will start digitally, hoping that soon we can be on FM throughout the country. At a time close to Christmas, we wanted the radio to launch today. May it be as successful as BTV. There is no scheduled date for the transition to FM. We are waiting for ERC’s response. We want to reach everywhere," Rui Costa began by saying.

The Eagles’ top leader also spoke about the Club’s current moment: "I am always a happy president, representing a club like Benfica. I am always a happy person. Regarding the results, I am not happy, not at all, or completely. I am not in first place in the league, I am not qualified for the Champions League, but I am optimistic. I never lose that optimism. I see clear improvements in the team, in an extraordinarily difficult year for reasons you know. They are not excuses, but they are objective reasons. I remain confident."

"I regret that all Benfica’s media could not have reported on yesterday’s match. It was a beautiful, extraordinary game with a Stadium of Light as we like and want to see. Things worked on both sides. The team energized the fans and vice versa. That victory makes us optimistic for the future. [Benfica] is the biggest club in the country and one of the biggest in the world. These initiatives do not mean we want to show that we are pioneers. We want to see the club grow every day. We are very happy about that. Our BTV turned 17 years old. Seventeen years ago, when Benfica was about to launch the channel, there was also a commotion. Benfica fans are proud of the TV channel, and the same will happen with the radio," Rui Costa added, once again mentioning the new project.

Rui Costa concluded with a word about the football team: "I come to our radio as is natural, but not to give you the news you want, like transfer market updates. It will be to launch our Benfica FM. I touched on that point to explain that my presence is not related to that aspect. Not now. In terms of football, our focus is on the league. We have great faith in the work José Mourinho is doing and will do. It’s a year without holidays, without pre-season, with little time to work between matches. The team has improved substantially in recent weeks. That was when they had a whole week to work."

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