Domingos Soares de Oliveira, CEO of Benfica, gave a long interview to The Athletic. Among the various issues of current incarnation, the manager was convinced that Rui Costa will do a good job as president of the club.
“The previous president has been with the club since 2003. It was a big change. Now we have Rui Costa. It is the first time in Portugal that a former player becomes president. It’s something that, in my opinion, goes in the right direction. I have some friends who are in the same position, like Karl-Heinz Rummenigge [no Bayern Munique] e Edwin van der Sar [Ajax]. Rui Costa was once a good number 10, now I think he is a good number one and I don’t mean goalkeeper, of course.
– We have been working together since he retired as a player and joined the administration. We have been working together since 2008/09. It’s a long time, and that’s good. This is a trend for the future. I think we will see more and more football players in this position. Rui Costa knows what is happening on the ground. He knows what goes on in the administration room. He also knows what happens in the different institutions that control and manage football. He also has experience as a businessman not only because of his success in his personal life, but because he also has more than 10 years of experience as a member of the board”, added Domingos Soares de Oliveira.
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