Insults and brawls halt Benfica general meeting, could arrests follow? | OneFootball

The General Assembly of Benfica was suspended late Saturday morning, about three hours after it began, due to the atmosphere of protest at the Luz Pavilion.

The episode began when Luís Filipe Vieira, former president and candidate for the October 25 elections, tried to speak, being booed and insulted as he ascended to the podium, which prevented him from speaking. Rui Costa, the current president of the club, tried to calm the mood without success.

Luís Filipe Vieira arrived at the venue about 15 minutes after the start of the grand meeting, accompanied by a security team, and sat next to João Correia, candidate for the presidency of the General Assembly's board for the list he leads, being the target of protests from the beginning.

When he approached the podium, the situation 'descended into chaos'. Amidst whistles, he was unable to speak, generating a tension that culminated, even, in confrontations between members, while José Pereira da Costa sought to find a way to continue with the session.

In the face of the lack of conditions for continuation, it was decided to suspend the General Assembly. The session scheduled for the afternoon was postponed to 1:30 pm (Portugal mainland time), with a second call half an hour later, in case there is no quorum.

It remains to be clarified whether the Public Prosecutor's Office will initiate an investigation to identify and arrest those responsible for the disturbances, as happened at the FC Porto AG.

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