"We will do everything we can to win the Championship"

Representing Sport Lisboa e Benfica at the Kick-Off for professional football competitions, which took place on Friday, July 4, at the Arena Liga Portugal, Vice President Sílvio Cervan reacted to the draw for the 2025/26 edition of Liga Betclic.

Speaking to BTV and Sport TV, Sílvio Cervan began by reiterating Sport Lisboa e Benfica's condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of Diogo Jota and André Silva, then assuring that the Eagles' goal is to overcome all opponents on their way to winning the coveted 39th title.

"With all due respect to the 17 other teams, this is the luck we got. The only thing that motivates us right now is the ambition to win the 39th title. We start with Rio Ave and hope to end up at António Coimbra da Mota [Estoril's home ground], celebrating the 39th title, because it's the last game of the Championship. So Rio Ave is just the first step of many we have to overcome if we want to achieve our goal of winning the 39th title," he said.

The Eagles' manager also downplayed the fact that they will be hosting FC Porto, SC Braga, and Vitória SC in the second half of the competition, emphasizing that Benfica will have to be able to beat their opponents one by one.

"You never know how teams are doing at any given moment. We have to play with everyone at home and everyone away. If we are capable and competent, and if we respect our opponents, we are always much closer to winning. The decisive focus is that we really want to win the Championship, we will do everything we can to win the Championship, we will surely win the Championship, and today [Friday, July 4] is just the draw for a Championship that we want to win. It's not worth talking about the first or last opponent here, because we'll have to play against everyone. We fans, when we look at the table and the draw, always tend to do that. I am no exception to the rule, and I start looking at who we will face first, second, but we know that, at the end of the day, we will have to play against everyone, and we'll have to be able to beat them one by one, realizing that the next game is always the most difficult and the most important. This is the path that champions follow. A champion is not someone who never falls, but someone who gets up immediately. In a consistency competition, whoever knows how to be more consistent... and we will certainly manage to do so this year, from the first to the last game, to become champions," he emphasized.

STATEMENTS TO BTV

Due to the period of mourning in Portuguese football, the awards ceremony for the 2024/25 season was canceled, but Sílvio Cervan commented on Benfica's victory in three of them: Best Stadium and Best Pitch, referring to Estádio da Luz, as well as the Fair Play Award for Benfica's B team.

"We were awarded the Best Stadium [Award], and we know we deserve it. We make a huge effort to have the Best Pitch, and we are proud of that. The Fair Play Award for the B team is very important because, in addition to giving their best performance ever, they were also a team that achieved great sporting results while scrupulously respecting the rules of ethics and fair play. We are proud of this, but, quite frankly, these are only minor distinctions, which we know are important, but our focus is on winning, winning, and we will do everything we can to win," he stressed.

The vice-president of Benfica also harshly criticized the scheduling of the Cândido de Oliveira Super Cup match against Sporting for July 31, calling it “disrespectful.” The competition is organized by the Portuguese Football Federation.

"Unfortunately, the Portuguese team that went furthest in the Club World Cup, the one that fought to the end to uphold Portugal's name, is the one that has been penalized the most, having to play a Super Cup on the 31st [of July], without giving the players any vacation time or training time after their return. There is a lot of talk about competitive frameworks, it is always said that things are improving, there is a lot of talk, little thought, and absolutely nothing is done. Forcing this Benfica team to play a Super Cup on July 31 is disrespectful to Portuguese football and to those who are trying to take it as high and as far as possible. However, the expectation is always to win, and we will do everything we can to win, even though we understand the surrounding situation. Therefore, we will go into July 31, in the Algarve, to win," concluded.