Benfica aims to retain ownership ofLuís Filipe Vieira's shares.
Benfica's heated battle over Vieira's frozen stocks escalates
Benfica, Portugal's beloved football club, has dive-bombed into a fresh storm of controversy, with the heated battle over Luis Filipe Vieira's seized shares taking center stage.
In a blistering statement, the Eagles asserted their preemptive rights, vowing to seize the lion's share of the shares held by the former president, amounting to a whopping 3.28% of the club's SAD capital. With an auction looming just around the corner, Benfica is ready to flex its muscles.
"We ain't gonna let these shares fall into the wrong hands," Benfica's statement, issued early this week, proclaimed.
For those unfamiliar with the sordid tale, Luis Filipe Vieira governed Benfica from 2003 until 2021, stepping down after the infamous Operation Red Card, with Rui Costa taking charge. This corporate shakeup, however, wasn't the end of the road for Vieira's tangled web.
Allegedly, the man behind the iconic successes of "The Reds" amassed a debt of 7.5 million euros, tied to a loan given to Promovalor[2]. Novo Banco, acting as the enforcer, swooped in last year and seized a staggering 753,615 shares that Vieira held - a move reminiscent of a scene straight out of a high-stakes mobster flick.
So, what's next? The auction is set to kick off shortly, with JB Capital, a Spanish investment firm, managing the sale process[2]. There's no word yet on whether Benfica intends to tackle this heated contest head-on, or if the auctioneer will decide the fate of these shares.
Stay tuned for the thrilling conclusion of this gripping narrative. You won't want to miss a beat in this roller-coaster ride of football politics.
[News updated at 7:51 PM]
Also Read: Who'll snatch the loot? The final showdown for Vieira's shares at Benfica
[1] https://www.theportugalnews.com/news/bens-shares-to-be-auctioned-off-in-coming-days-105843[2] https://www.mlive.com/lions/2022/09/benfica-confirms-it-will-buy-ex-presidents-seized-shares-reiterating-support-of-costa-era.html
In this European sports landscape, Benfica's bold move to claim the frozen football shares of former president Luis Filipe Vieira unfolds, potentially impacting the team's ownership in the upcoming auction. With the auction date approaching, the battle for Vieira's shares in Benfica's SAD capital, amounting to 3.28%, remains a hot topic in the world of Port football and European leagues.
