Benfica hold debate for new President

Benfica club members will elect a new President for the club on Saturday and for the first time in more then two decades the club held a Presidential debate between the two candidates Rui Costa and Francisco Benitez last night as both men look to succeed Luis Filipe Vieira who resigned during the summer after being arrested and accused of economic and financial crimes with the case awaiting a trial date.

The debate was held on Benfica TV and some of the candidates key messages were:

Rui Costa - prefers to keep things as they are, amid the clubs success on and off the field over the past decade with league titles and players sales. Costa plans to work with a group of people on everything Benfica.

Francisco Benitez - wants to change the structure of the SAD and install more directors on the football side to assist in making club decisions. Benitez also prefers that all directors are Benfica fans.

Both candidates did agree that holding onto youth players who develop at Seixal longer would be an advantage in competitive play and potentially add more to the coffers at a later date as these players values rise.