Mayer, a candidate with “Benfica in his blood”

Somewhat amusingly, but mostly out of Benfica support, I received a message the day after the local elections saying something like "now that we know who will be in charge of the municipalities and parishes of this country, can we move on to what really matters at a national level, that is, the elections in Benfica"?

In fact, it's a must-have conversation wherever Benfica fans pass by or meet, always with the same motto, whether they're fans or sporting opponents: "So who's going to win the elections?" The answers vary, but the importance of the topic is undeniable.

However, unfortunately, Benfica's elections have recently taken a path that does no one any honor, especially Benfica itself, suffering from the insinuations of some candidates because someone, in a hurry, took the trouble to "throw mud at the fan." Members and fans are left confused and embarrassed, feeling that this campaign, which should have been clean and courteous, is taking a dark path and adopting an "anything goes" approach.

Also for this reason, and also because the overwhelming majority of Benfica fans are displeased with the direction the elections are taking, I must and have the obligation to contribute to raising the level of the campaign, especially because the past and various contributions I have already made to this cause that is "in my blood" give me certain responsibilities within the Benfica universe.

As is common knowledge, I declared my support for Martim Mayer, and I'm proud to feel it was the right choice. Supporting one doesn't mean opposing anyone. I understand that, particularly at Benfica, voting against A or B stigmatizes some Benfica fans. I believe that, as in all societies, some deserve it, but that would be reductive, and I won't go there.

It's undeniable that being President of Benfica is a position many covet, but one in which the professional and social demands of the position should curtail the ambitions of most. Therefore, the choice made by the Members, at such a special and difficult time in Benfica's life, especially with so many candidates—some representing the past of the last two decades and others representing different future alternatives—should be judicious and considered. Among these, my personal conviction tells me that Martim Mayer, whom I met just a few months ago and who emerged with a clear and ambitious program, has the profile and reputation required for the position.

Mayer uses the past as a starting point for his ideas, never wanting to settle scores. Over the last five years, the success rate in men's professional soccer has been 15% (three titles in 20), justifying the hiring of a General Director like Andries Jonker to undertake integrated planning from the youth academy (which has yielded excellent results) to retaining talent as the foundation for the first team.

In the so-called amateur professional sports—handball, basketball, hockey, futsal, and volleyball—the number of titles recorded is just 4 out of 18, despite all the financial effort (budget of approximately €28 million). Not to mention the costly reality of having approximately 600 houses and/or rooms rented to accommodate all of them, which leaves any manager with their hair standing on end. Tiago Bianchi will have a lot to do, a lot of imagination to apply to achieve rational and successful management (certainly including the launch of a Benfica Campus, which Mayer envisions to minimize costs).

Mayer's program has several ideas, some innovative, others just common sense. Among these, and just to name a few, is the expansion of the stadium (I never understood how it wasn't built from scratch to seat at least 80,000, when the old one had 120,000), with an investment of some €85 million, clearly self-sustaining from a financial standpoint through the securitization of the sale of these additional seats. In Seixal, in addition to additional training fields, a new stadium will free up the main stadium and provide women's football with the conditions it legitimately requires. From a social perspective, I highlight (i) the importance of creating a "Benfica School," in conjunction with a renowned entity, to support the literacy of young players; and (ii) the idea of ​​having a "House of Athletes" for those over 65 who lack social support. Finally, as mentioned above, the need to build a Benfica Campus for sports is a legitimate desire of these sports, but it's crucial that the location be accessible to fans. This underscores the enormous importance of the Heritage department, which will be led by José Meneses e Castro, who will have a huge amount of work ahead of him.

Among other issues of great concern to members, the centralization of rights, mandated by law, requires special attention, particularly because nothing can be achieved alone. In other words, Mayer argues for the need to seek an international partnership in professional football that would serve as a catalyst for interest in Portuguese football. This entity would help the Professional League invest in the infrastructure of the country's various stadiums, some of which are in a state of significant disrepair, and enable the promotion of our "little football" to international levels, given that interest outside our borders or communities is currently significantly reduced. Otherwise, the big three, especially Benfica, will be severely penalized in their revenues.

Another interesting and fundamental topic concerns the ownership of the SAD's share capital. Today, when many clubs have international investors, some with a majority stake, Mayer advocates a vision similar to the one I've always advocated: transferring the SAD's share capital to two renowned entities with 10% each, naming possible alternatives (I advocate three, such as Bayern Munich), but with the majority stake always remaining with Benfica.

In the financial area, whoever comes in will always have to rationalize costs, and Mayer has the experience (and João Frederico Franco) to believe he can do it well. But simply looking at costs isn't enough – revenue will need to be increased, both through increasing the stadium's capacity and by developing the Benfica brand, which is crucial for renegotiating with sponsors, both domestically and, especially, internationally. This area will be directly under the thorny responsibility of José Bartolomé Duarte, who fortunately has so many potential markets to explore, including the very interesting idea of ​​creating a Fan Zone in Angola (Luanda) and Mozambique (Maputo).

The commercial department will have a lot to work on. Relationships with various sponsors, associates, and corporate seats, negotiating the stadium's naming, and developing marketable products will all be, among other things, significant challenges that the Commercial Department will have to face, alongside the Marketing department.

Regarding Institutional Relations, the work with the Portuguese Football Federation, where we helped elect Pedro Proença (over Nuno Lobo), and with the Portuguese Professional Football League, FIFA, and UEFA will always predominate, not to mention the entire world of third-party entities required for the greatness of a club like Benfica. In this area, Mayer, with his strategic voice and institutional representation, will greatly rely on the work of Catarina Valente Rodrigues.

Unfortunately, it's undeniable that our Club's legal department will have a huge amount of work ahead of it, given the many lawsuits in which we've been directly or indirectly involved. I don't predict an easy job for Miguel Olazabal de Almada.

A final word for the Casas do Benfica—a stronghold of our Club, for the reach they provide and the support they can provide, including for the travel of our various teams in Portugal and abroad. This assurance of their economic viability can be assured under Mayer. Under Rui Vilar's portfolio, he will have plenty to keep him busy, many trips to make to gauge their pulse and the need for them.

I've written a lot, perhaps too much, but Mayer's program to "Honor the Past, Lead the Future" is vast, and there are so many topics of interest that I always had to mention them. Because I believe in his program and because I believe in his ability to elevate Benfica to the national and international level that all Benfica fans desire, I invite you here, and believe me, you won't regret it—vote for Mayer, because on this list, we all have "Benfica in our blood."