Rui Costa on alert: Director on Benfica signing, “More or less beneficial”

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Glorioso 1904

·10 September 2025

Rui Costa on alert: Director on Benfica signing, “More or less beneficial”

In the aftermath of the transfer market, Rui Costa was 'targeted' by a manager due to a signing made by Benfica.

A week after Rui Costa closed the deal for Dodi Lukebakio, who joined Benfica on the deadline day of the summer market, the first reactions from Sevilla to the sale of the Belgian player emerged. José Maria del Nido Carrasco commented that there were circumstances the club couldn't control regarding the player - who will not play against Santa Clara.

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In a press conference where he discussed the investment made by the Seville club in the market, the president commented on the circumstances surrounding the Belgian's departure: “There were circumstances we couldn't control, and we sold Lukebakio on Monday at 10:35 PM [one hour less in mainland Portugal].”

Asked about their failure to sign Amrabat, Carrasco recalled that the priority was always the Andalusian team: “We had to focus on finalizing the squad and Dodi's departure. We don't usually talk about players who are not from Sevilla. Amrabat is a Betis player, and I have nothing to say.”

José Maria Nido Carrasco: “There was an agreement, whether it was more or less beneficial for one of the parties”

In general, the Sevilla president considered it a turbulent market, with various nuances and different approaches: “There are three parties. The club that buys, the one that sells, and the player. We received offers. In some cases, we considered the proposals insufficient. There were situations where players didn't want to leave, others where there was an agreement, whether it was more or less beneficial for one of the parties.”

Finally, looking at the club's finances, in accordance with the guidelines imposed by the Spanish Federation, del Nido Carrasco states that it was a positive market for the Seville club: “On September 1, 2025, it was 66 million. The current cost of the squad is 85 million euros, compared to 203 million two years ago. We continue to follow the script.”

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