Eng. Alfredo Silveira Ávila de Melo

Football deep changes

A great management, with administrators of an irreproachable “Benfiquismo” (Benfica’s passion), responsible for the club’s ascension into an enormous civic status and a renowned institution, inside the Portuguese society.
In the three initial mandates, there was the General-Captain Ribeiro dos Reis, in a period of lack of football victories (Despite of the valiant conquers in the low categories). With the financial situation getting better it was built, next to Amoreiras stadium, a field for a new sport, basketball (1927). The table tennis also came out (1928). By changing the players hiring policy, the Campeonato de Portugal was won, in 1930, for the first time. In 1929, he was the president, when the biggest Portuguese club was commemorating the silver weeding.