President Rui Costa announces 70,000 seats at Estádio da Luz

INTERVENTION

The President of Sport Lisboa e Benfica, Rui Costa, officially inaugurated the new facilities of Casa Benfica Arouca on Saturday, November 30. In celebration of yet another special chapter in the history of the Club's associative life, he announced to the Benfica nation that the capacity of the new Estádio da Luz will be increased to 70,000 seats.

"Tomorrow [Sunday, December 1] marks the 70th anniversary of the inauguration of our beloved old Estádio da Luz. It's the perfect time to announce something we've been working on and which has already begun to come to fruition. We want more members and more fans to be able to enjoy the unique opportunity of supporting our club. Although the Estádio da Luz is already the largest and most imposing stadium in the country, I am announcing today that we will be increasing its capacity to 70,000 seats," revealed the President of SL Benfica in his words to the Glorioso fans during the official event of the Club's 218th embassy.

Read here, in full, the speech given by the President of Sport Lisboa e Benfica at the official inauguration ceremony of the new facilities of Casa Benfica Arouca.

"President of the Arouca Parish Council, Vítor Arouca,

President of Casa do Benfica de Arouca, Hugo Azevedo,

Honorable presidents of the other Casas do Benfica present here,

Vice-president of Sport Lisboa e Benfica, Domingos Almeida Lima,

Dear Benfiquistas,

How gratifying it is to see this room full of Benfiquistas. That's why I say with an open heart: it's with a full soul that I find myself here. And it's always like this when I have the opportunity to visit a Casa do Benfica!

Benfica is all of us, who live our beloved club with limitless passion and dedication, who cheer on the victories, suffer the defeats and dream of new victories. And it's all of you, here in the center of the country, far from the Estádio da Luz, but always committed to the growth of Sport Lisboa e Benfica, who prove and demonstrate once again that, yes, it really is like that: Benfica was born in Lisbon, but has become one of the biggest clubs in the world, spreading to all the regions and islands of Portugal and wherever there are Portuguese people. That is our soul. That's our strength. That's our unique trait. What great pride! Let's hear it for everyone!

Here, in this historic town, passion is cultivated and the connection to the Club is strengthened. Casa do Benfica de Arouca is to be congratulated for having enthusiastically embraced the new image project. It is a distinguished embassy of Benfiquism which, thanks to the hard work of its managers and the essential participation of its members, has been welcoming Benfiquistas with open arms since 2007.

I know that this Casa do Benfica has organized some excursions to the matches at our Estádio da Luz. I also know that many Benfiquistas attend the birthday and Christmas dinners, that the quadrille tournaments are very lively, that the mountain bike rides usually bring many of you together and that the pork sandwiches at the Casa do Benfica are truly unmissable.

The Casas do Benfica have been part of the extraordinary growth of our membership in recent years, with a constant increase in the number of members and decisive support for our teams. I ask you to continue to do so, to maintain the perseverance and purpose of making it grow and assert itself more and more.

In the Board of Directors that I chair, we are very clear about the importance of the Casas do Benfica. They make us stronger and bring us closer to success. They are essential to Sport Lisboa e Benfica's development strategy. And for this reason, I want to praise the role of all those who, in the hustle and bustle of everyday life that characterizes our time, dedicate themselves selflessly and passionately to the Casas do Benfica, in a commitment of inestimable value, day after day, 365 days a year..

In this sense, I pay tribute here and now to the people of Casa de Arouca, in the person of Hugo Azevedo, Carlos Almeida, Herculano Santos, Luís Soares and all the others who have contributed to the renewal of its image, but also to all the Benfiquistas who, through their work and their love for the Club, are fundamental to the affirmation of the almost 300 Casas do Benfica spread all over the world.

A huge round of applause for everyone!

Benfiquistas,

This season didn't get off to the start we'd hoped for. But nothing has been lost with a less than auspicious start to the season. Likewise, and although I feel that our team today has the conditions and quality to play and win any match, nothing is won or guaranteed. That's why I'd like to reiterate an appeal I've made on other occasions: let's not get depressed when we lose, but let's not make it easy when we win either.

Benfica needs us. Always. In good times and in less good times. Benfica needs everyone to keep it going. With focus, tenacity and ambition.

The support of Benfiquistas has proved fundamental in overcoming difficulties and helping us get to where we want to be. Like three days ago in Monaco. It was remarkable. It was Benfica style! But we want more

In this sense, I reserve an important announcement for last.

The Estádio da Luz has an average attendance of close to 60,000 spectators, an unparalleled figure in Portugal and proof of Benfica's greatness.

With practically every game sold out, thousands of members and fans are unable to attend our matches, just as thousands are on a waiting list to get a Red Pass. That's why we want more. Benfica and Benfica fans want and deserve even more.

Tomorrow marks the 70th anniversary of the inauguration of our beloved old Estádio da Luz. It's the perfect time to announce something we've been working on and which has already begun to come to fruition. We hope that more members and fans will be able to enjoy the unique opportunity of supporting our club.

Although the Estádio da Luz is already the largest and most impressive stadium in the country, today I am announcing that we will be increasing its capacity to 70,000 seats.

We have responded to the immense desire of Benfiquistas to support their team up close by giving 5,000 more fans the opportunity to do so, while preserving the current conditions of safety, access, comfort and visibility.

The more Benfiquistas support the team, the closer it will be to winning.

It may be a buzzword, but I never tire of saying it: united we are unstoppable. Come with us because there's still a lot to fight for. There's still a lot to win.

Long live the Casa do Benfica de Arouca.

Long live the Casas do Benfica.

Long live Sport Lisboa e Benfica."