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Luís Filipe Vieira, president of Benfica, explained that it was the transition in the presidency of the Portuguese League between Luís Duque and Pedro Proença, in 2015, which caused the breakdown of relations with FC Porto’s counterpart, Pinto da Costa.
“At that time there was a period of three weeks in which nobody knew who would be the president of the League. I met with Pinto da Costa in a meeting and what I said was: ‘President, the resolution of Portuguese football and the League goes through both of them. With one condition: FC Porto and Benfica cannot have anyone on the governing bodies of the League. Choose who you want, it can’t be Benfica or FC Porto. ‘ The first name he spoke was Jorge Neto. I said ‘there must be some mistake because that man is a Porto player’. He replied ‘then choose yourself’. I said that I had read the name of Luís Duque in the newspaper A BOLA. And he says, ‘then call him.’ This is how the president of the League was elected, “Vieira explained in an interview with RTP3, recalling the” peace “that existed between Benfica and FC Porto in that period.
«What cut this relationship? One day Pedro Proença came into my office, told me that he was going to say goodbye to the arbitration, that he was going to run for the presidency of the League and that he had the support of FC Porto. From then on, there were no more conversations. (…) I heard him (Pinto da Costa) say in an interview that a relationship with the citizen Luís Filipe Vieira was impossible. I have a word and I always assume it. When the word of the other side is not kept, it is not worth it, ”he said, highlighting, however, that he maintained a normal dialogue with the dragon leader in the recent meeting with the Prime Minister on the football crisis due to the pandemic. in which the president of Sporting was also present.
Vieira also assured that the cut of relations with Pinto da Costa has nothing to do with the case of the e-mails: «That is another story. Someday we will have to know why the emails were sent and who paid to do it.
On cutting ties with Pedro Proença: «He told me that he was tired of the League and that he was leaving. I don’t know if it will or not, I’m waiting. Benfica left the League because Pedro Proença lied. I have nothing against him, but the letter he did could not have been done without the authorization of the clubs, especially the big three. “
