Pedro Proença and Benfica President Rui Costa Seated Apart at Europa League Match in Lisbon

Pedro Proença, president of the Federação Portuguesa de Futebol (FPF), and Rui Costa, president of SL Benfica, did not sit together in the presidential box for the Benfica‑Hearts Europa League game at Estádio da Luz. The separation was officially attributed to protocol rules, but it also signaled the strained relationship between the two organisations.

Proença was placed in the sixth row of the box, accompanied by national team coach Jorge Jesus, João Vieira Pinto and other FPF officials, while Benfica officials expressed dissatisfaction with recent refereeing decisions and disciplinary actions by the FPF. The seating arrangement has been interpreted as a public display of the ongoing dispute between the federation and the club.

Benfica has repeatedly criticised the federation’s arbitration criteria and recent appointments, and the seating incident adds to the political tension surrounding Portuguese football governance.