President's statement

Luís Filipe Vieira, the President do Sport Lisboa e Benfica and of the Executive Borad of the SAD, was in the Press Conference room of Estádio da Luz at 8:30 pm this Wednesday to make a statement to the Press on the indictment from the Public Prosecution [watch the video].

"The Executive Board of Benfica SAD hereby announces that it received today the notification of the indictment of case No. 6421 of the 9th Section of the DIAP of Lisbon, and, after gathering and evaluating the indictment, it hereby informs the members, supporters of Sport Lisboa e Benfica, as well as its shareholders and partners, of the following:

As expected, the indictment does not change the assurance already affirmed of the total legality of Benfica SAD's conduct and operation in this, or in any other case. In the indictment, there is no fact, not even evidence, that allows the attribution to Benfica SAD of the crimes described there. Neither exists any conduct, detailed in time, way and place that relates Benfica SAD with any of the crimes described there.

Indeed, it is believed that it was for this same reason that no imputation was held to any member of the Executive Board of Benfica SAD, or any accusation was brought against any of them. Just like when was named a formal defendant, Benfica SAD cannot fail to repudiate and to be outraged due to the time, way and manner as it was involved in this charge, without the existence of any legal ground.

Benfica SAD assures to all Benfiquistas that will go on defending uncompromisingly the Benfica’s reputation, that will cooperate with the judicial system, hoping to demonstrate, as soon as possible, its innocence in this process, or in other that might have been unreasonably involved.

Benfica SAD calls on all the Benfiquistas to trust and to transmit that trust with respect to the lawfulness of their behaviors and to their everyday honesty, in the past, present and future, and ensures that will act in this process with the same determination with which has regained the Benfica’s credibility and its sporting, financial and patrimonial competitiveness.

At last, Benfica SAD reminds all the Benfiquistas that, until the present date, all the administrative and judicial decisions were favorable to us and clearly affirmed the lawfulness of our conduct. Therefore, the communicational debate that we will, certainly, keep watching, and where there will be no lack of popular judgements, does not change the trust in the courts’ independence and the certainty that the definitive judicial decisions will clear the good name and honor of Benfica. All benfiquistas shall trust in it. Long live Benfica!"

Pics: Isabel Cutileiro / SL Benfica