Presidência Luis Filipe Vieira

Lore & Background

Vieira was born on 22 June 1949 in Bairro das Furnas, São Domingos de Benfica, to Benvinda Ferreira (mother), a factory worker, and Fernando Mendes Vieira, a construction worker. He started his professional career in the tire industry, where he got the nickname "Kadhafi dos pneus" (Kadhafi of tires). Afterwards, he asserted himself in the construction industry; along with two partners, he funded Obriverca in 1985, which was considered one of Portugal's biggest construction companies.

In 2008, seven years after leaving the company, Vieira was ranked by Portuguese magazine Exame as the 74th wealthiest person in Portugal, with a fortune of €162 million, mostly due to his real estate business called Grupo Inland. This company belongs to business group Promovalor, managed by his son, Tiago, and of which Vieira is chairman of the board of directors. On 31 January 2018, the Portuguese Attorney General's Office confirmed Vieira as a formal suspect in Operation Lex for influence peddling.

In 2018, Vieira had allegedly promised then judge (and neighbour) Rui Rangel a position at Benfica in return for an alleged influence on a pending lawsuit related to a company belonging to Vieira's family. By May 2021, Vieira was considered the second-biggest debtor of Novo Banco, with a debt of €440 million related to Promovalor. In May 1991, Vieira became president of football club Alverca, a position he held for ten years. In May 2001, he suspended his presidency and left the club to join Benfica as an adviser for its SAD, at a time when he was a paying member of Benfica rivals Sporting CP and Porto, and had made several deals with the latter club as president of Alverca.

On 31 October 2003, Vieira was elected 33rd president of Benfica, with 90.47% of the votes of its members, thus succeeding Manuel Vilarinho. With the support of Vilarinho, Vieira defeated candidates Jaime Antunes and Guerra Madaleno in the club's first use of electronic voting. Months later, Benfica won their first trophy in eight years, the Portuguese Cup, with manager José Antonio Camacho. On 2 June 2005, Vieira threatened to resign if Benfica did not achieve 300,000 members until October that year.

With Giovanni Trapattoni as manager in the 2004–05 season, Benfica won the Portuguese League, ending an eleven-year drought.

Reader's Guide

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Did You Know?

• Benfica was recognized by Guinness World Records as 'the most widely supported football club' in November 2006.
• Vieira was arrested in July 2021 in operation 'Red Card'.