Rui Costa addresses Parliament over Benfica FM rejection | OneFootball

According to Glorioso 1904, Rui Costa visited the Assembleia da República on Wednesday morning to brief MPs on Benfica’s concerns after the Benfica FM project was rejected.

The Benfica president met different parliamentary groups to raise structural issues affecting the club and the national sporting landscape. Topics included the centralisation of rights and recent regulatory decisions that drew a strong response from the club.

A central point was the Entidade Reguladora para a Comunicação Social’s decision on 25 March 2026 to reject the Benfica FM plan. The regulator refused BMHAUDIO Portugal Holdings’ request to switch several musical services to a sport and news format, to be linked with Golo FM and branded on air as Benfica FM, judging that legal conditions were not met.

The ERC said the change would not meaningfully increase radio diversity in the covered areas, only replace one theme with another without added plurality. It also raised doubts over editorial independence, noting Benfica’s role in content creation could clash with the legal framework for radio operators.

The club reacted immediately with fierce opposition. Vice-president José Gandarez expressed indignation, said Benfica would appeal, and left open a criminal complaint if any offences were confirmed, insisting on scrutiny of the process. The club also sought meetings with all parliamentary groups to present the dossier.

That backdrop informed Rui Costa’s visit, where he sought to underline the impact of the ERC ruling and the ongoing centralisation process. Benfica aims to prevent similar episodes and to reinforce institutional oversight.

Source: Glorioso 1904