There were worrying scenes in Lisbon on Thursday when former Benfica president Luis Filipe Vieira had an accident in front of the media.
The 76-year-old, who also ran again versus Rui Costa in November, had just been acquitted in the ‘Saco Azul’ case at Justice Campus in Lisbon.
Vieira was being hounded by the media as he left the court and all of a sudden he tripped and landed heavily on his arm.
Record report that while he managed to leave of his own accord, the pain worsened and he later went to hospital where his arm was put in a cast.
Who is the ex-Benfica president?
Vieira led the Eagles from 2003 to 2021 and ran again last year, finishing third in the elections behind Rui Costa and João Noronha Lopes.
His appearance was over an alleged tax fraud case where all defendants were cleared after the court decided ‘doubt remains as to what was done or not done, or whether the invoices corresponded to work performed’.
Speaking before his fall, Vieira said: “I have always felt relieved in my life.
“I have always said that justice works, they have to investigate. Let them investigate. Worried? Not at all. We will talk about it at the right time.”
Current president Rui Costa also made a statement on the court’s decision.
Rui Costa’s statement
“I’m very pleased. Of course, all Benfica fans should be satisfied,” he said.
“It’s been 10 years of a process that ends today, with the result we hoped for and wanted, after 10 years of being harmed, and greatly, both in terms of image and sport, with a process that lasted the years it did, as you [journalists] know, and which today has had the result it has had. We’re very satisfied with that.
“Ten years is a long time. In a process like this, both in collective terms on behalf of Benfica and in individual terms of the people on trial, it’s clear that it takes many years, and in sport this involves much more than just the public image.
“It also involves all areas of sport, and there’s no doubt in my mind that Benfica has suffered a lot of damage over the last 10 years in order to reach this result, so I can’t help but be very happy, and I believe that all Benfica fans are very happy.
“It’s a process that ends, a process that comes to an end today and now we have to keep looking forward.”
Giving a message to the fans, he added: “Let them have the feeling of joy that we have to have today, because justice has been done.
“Once again, Benfica’s name has been cleared, and yet another process that has lasted, as I’ve said several times, as long as it has, and which I have no doubt about how damaging it has been, both in sporting terms and in terms of image.
“It has been damaged in many areas. It’s obvious that when a club the size of Benfica is involved in a case of this size, it damages its image, takes away the pride of Benfiquistas, or casts doubt on Benfiquistas.
“Today, we should be happy about that because, once again, Benfica has been cleared. So, yes, it has damaged Benfica over the last 10 years, and in a big way.
“You [journalists] have lost news since today with this case. I can’t believe it, there’s always a lot of news to talk about Benfica. Today is marked by what you heard inside the room, as I did.
“Benfica has been cleared, all the people at Benfica have been cleared, so it’s a great victory.
“It’s more a feeling of injustice at what has happened over the last 10 years for the reasons I’ve already mentioned, and so now we have to look forward.”
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