"Together and united in search of the 39th and more titles"

RUI COSTA'S INTERVENTION

"Today a dream was fulfilled. Today, history was made in Santarém. The first Casa do Benfica 2.0 has been inaugurated. What a special moment for all of us! Congratulations, Benfiquistas. Congratulations, Santarém!" said Rui Costa, President of Sport Lisboa e Benfica, in his speech at the opening ceremony of the new venue, which took place on Sunday, November 19.

"It is with great pride that we celebrate today the conclusion of a project and an ambition that has grown over several years and which means so much to the future of Benfica, to Benfiquistas, but also to the city of Santarém. A city where Benfiquism is lived with immense passion and which is a notable example, among many others in Portugal and around the world, of the immense size of the Benfica fan base", recalled Rui Costa, in the early afternoon, at the CNEMA facilities, where hundreds of fans gathered for lunch to commemorate the event.

"It's often said that Benfica is wherever there are Benfica fans. Well! Here I am with you, witnessing how Benfiquism is very much alive in Santarém and how much Benfica there is in this beautiful city. And this Benfiquism that we are breathing here today is the most extraordinary intangible heritage of Sport Lisboa e Benfica and the ultimate reason for its unparalleled greatness. A unique dimension that has in the Casas do Benfica one of its most important and decisive expressions, both in the establishment and expansion of Benfiquism. They play a very, very important role in bringing Benfica and Benfica fans closer together. That's why I'm telling you right up front and with the honor we've received from this inauguration: Casas do Benfica are essential to the Club's development model", stresed the President.

"The growth of Sport Lisboa e Benfica's membership would not have been possible, nor would it have been as significant, without the Casas do Benfica, ambassadors of excellence in the permanent germination of this special feeling of being a Benfica fan.. Thank you very much, therefore, on behalf of the Club and, I'm sure, of all Benfiquistas, to Casas do Benfica and, in particular, to Casa do Benfica in Santarém," he said.

"No one at this club is immune to criticism and, as I said at the start of the season, there are no credits at Benfica. We always want more! More titles, more wins, more performances. That's the essence of Benfica and the cry of our history. Even if we've won a Championship, a Super Cup and, in a broader panorama involving the entire Sport Lisboa e Benfica universe, even if we've won every title Benfica has played for in Portugal this season: football and indoor sports. All of them! What another 10 Super Cups mean for our Cosme Damião Museum", highlighted the President.

"I have no trouble admitting that, after two consecutive years in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, we were looking forward to another European campaign. But in sport, as in life, everything isn't always straightforward and perfect in terms of what we have planned. But it's in adversity, in the difficult and most challenging moments that we have to be even more Benfica. It's in these moments that we have to be even more united. To be the Benfica Family that makes this club unique and unstoppable for its greatness and overwhelming strength, whenever we are united. And in this, let me say with pride, the Casas do Benfica have been an example of unity, of enormous and constant support, and not only in the moments when everything goes well", said Rui Costa.

"We're in first place in the league, and that's where we want and deserve to stay. But, just like last year, on our way to Marquês, we have to count on the support of all Benfica fans. All of them. And at all times. And so here's my appeal: together and united for the challenges ahead. Together and united in search of the 39th and more titles. All of us, without allowing ourselves to be shaken and fall into disbelief at the first setback. With a sense of demand, because we are Benfica, but with the solidarity and cohesion that make us great. Because we've already shown that we can do it. And that, when that's the case, we become unbeatable", emphasized the President.

"The 2.0 vision that we are realizing today will make Benfica's presence in this city even more ambitious and striking. It is also an important starting point and turning point for the future. Santarém is a pioneer in a structuring project for Benfica that will serve as a model for future Casas do Benfica in other geographies, both in Portugal and abroad. The Casas do Benfica 2.0 model, in addition to providing all the traditional services, adds the associative component to a more entrepreneurial vision, with differentiated services for Benfica fans and the general population, in line with the Club's fundamental values", he explained.

"I'd like to end with a very special thank you to two people who have contributed so much and given so much of themselves to make this Casa do Benfica a reality. If we have inaugurated it today, a lot is owed to them. I'm referring to our vice-president, Dr. Domingos Almeida Lima, and the director of the Casas do Benfica Department, Jorge Jacinto. Thank you both very much," said Rui Costa.

"The success of this project will also be the success of Benfica! We believe, without any reservations, that the new path of this Casa 2.0, even with the difficulties and challenges inherent to those who are pioneers, will be traveled with the determination so characteristic of Benfica fans. And that the result will be fruitful! We also believe that more Casas do Benfica will follow this path, thus making our beloved Sport Lisboa e Benfica even stronger and more glorious. Long live Casas do Benfica in Santarém! Long live the Benfica fans! Long live Sport Lisboa e Benfica!" said the President.