“It would be a disaster for society.” Will Benfica be expelled from football due to the scandal?
October 15, 2024, 22:30 Moscow time Audio version: Your browser does not support the audio element.
The prosecution has taken over the case and is in a serious mood.
News from the category “Haven’t you mixed anything in there? Isn’t this a joke? The Portuguese prosecutor’s office has a stranglehold on Benfica and wants to exclude it from all local competitions until 2027. It officially accused the club with the most titles in Portugal of corruption, falsification of documents and tax fraud, and demanded its suspension from football for a period of six to 36 months.
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Would you believe it if you said that about Spartak in Russia? Or Manchester United in England? But this is the harsh reality. At the same time, Benfica reported at the beginning of October a loss of 31.4 million euros for the 2023/2024 season with a turnover of 179 million euros, excluding player transfers. That is, almost a fifth.
The revenue figure decreased by 8.6%, which is mainly due to a 34% reduction in prize money from revenues in the European Cups: the club came third in the Champions League group and reached to the quarterfinals of the Europa League. Furthermore, despite the extension of Emirates’ sponsorship until 2029, the Dubai airline’s revenue fell 6% to €22.5 million. Apparently, Benfica’s management decided to cover the deficit radically.
Rui Costa
Photo: Gualter Fatia/Getty Images
But many top players play in the team: the goalkeeper of the Ukrainian national team Trubin, the defender of the Portuguese national team Silva, and the players of the Turkish national team Orkun Kökçü with Kerem Aktürkoglu, who became interested in Spartak this summer, and The Greek striker Vangelis Pavlidis, valued at 25 million euros, and legends like Otamendi and Di María. Apparently a big sale is coming up.
The journalist of the Portuguese A Bola Rafael Reis, in conversation with the “Campeonato”, confirmed the seriousness of the intentions of the Portuguese prosecutor’s office. However, it is unlikely that Benfica can be punished with full force: “I don’t think the club will be suspended from the Portuguese championship. He may be punished, but not that much. The trial can last for several years. It is important to note that such accusations against the Club are very difficult to prove. We also talk about the relationship between Benfica and Vitoria Setúbal. For example, about the details of the transfer of goalkeeper Bruno Varela and the validity of the payments for him.”
BRUNO VARELA
Photo: Domenic Aquilina/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Reis’s colleague, Gil Nunes, speaking to the Championship, also expressed his concern about what was happening: “You have to understand that Benfica has around six million fans. The suspension of the club would be a disaster for society. “This can affect order in the country on a social level.”
