The big challenges of Benfica's future

Domingos Soares de Oliveira is the highlight of the Soccerex Newsletter this Wednesday.  In an interview, the CEO of the Benfica Group remembers the extensive growth and development of the Club in all areas over the past 15 years.

"The major challenge for the future is to maintain Benfica with a strong performance at the European level. We must continue our strategy of youth development; we must be able to generate enough revenue - in 2004 we were close to 50 million euros and in 2019 we expect to reach close to 300 million - to retain our best talents. And we must be every year among the elite clubs that play in the Champions League. As I always say to my colleagues, we are privileged to be part of a small group of clubs that have global recognition", announced Domingos Soares de Oliveira.

The relevance of a strong European presence in Benfica's international marketing strategy was one of the questions put to the CEO.

"Portugal is a small market, with 10 million inhabitants. To continue developing our business, we need to go abroad. We have identified our key markets, mainly China and the United States, and the strategy is underway with people dedicated to each region. To be at the highest level in Europe is essential to have brand recognition. That is why we must have a strong performance at international level, but also to take part in friendly matches all over the world. Our presence at the ICC tournament [International Champions Cup] is part of that strategy", explained Domingos Soares de Oliveira.

"Nine of our 10 most important sponsors come from outside Portugal and are an important part of our strategy. In many cases, our strategy is shared and they are involved in our plans. We are proud of this group of sponsors and I am sure they are proud of us", added the CEO in the context of Benfica's international presence.

Text: João Sanches

Pics: SL Benfica / Archive