Rui Costa: Things tense with Varandas, Villas-Boas, but no rift | OneFootball

Rui Costa, president of Benfica and candidate for re-election, gave an interview to SIC Notícias tonight.

Asked if he has severed ties with Frederico Varandas, he replied: “No. We have a courteous relationship, we don't dine together, nor do we have lunch. We have done so, but in situations where Portuguese football was together, at Summits, at Galas where we were invited, I have never had lunch with Frederico Varandas or André Villas-Boas to discuss anything. Now things are more heated, but I haven't severed ties with anyone. As presidents, we discuss Portuguese football a lot. We have the responsibility to seek the best for Portuguese football and, in that sense, the support for Pedro Proença's candidacy. Now we await responses. Otherwise, we all failed.”

Regarding the criticisms at the end of last season and the so-called “green sheet,” he stated: “We have to explain how a president knows how many employees [of the FPF] are from Benfica, Sporting, or FC Porto. It is a situation that still needs explaining and leaves us with many doubts as well. Benfica will speak out whenever it feels it is being harmed. This does not mean that it does not support a federative project, whether with the ideas that are implemented for Portuguese football. We are all responsible for the environment in Portuguese football. Everyone has to have the responsibility to help the growth of our football.”

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