Nuno Gomes blackmailed Mantorras into supporting Noronha Lopes.

Over the past three months, the Benfica presidential elections have been exhaustively and, at times, rather inelegantly dominated the media agenda. This process finally concludes tomorrow with the second round, which will elect the club's 35th president. Last week, the rhetoric was the same as always: lacking substance and consisting of empty promises to convince the most devoted members, who vote with their hearts.

João Noronha Lopes affirmed his commitment to "a credible, transparent, and democratic electoral campaign," but this wasn't always the case. Yesterday, TVI 's Jornal Nacional revealed a phone call between Nuno Gomes and Pedro Mantorras, pressuring him to declare his support for João Noronha Lopes and to be present at the campaign's closing ceremony, which the former player refused. It was a tense conversation between two former colleagues, with Nuno Gomes – the vice-presidential candidate on Noronha Lopes' list – saying that if he wins the elections, the former player "will go on with his life and return to Angola," also accusing him of being a "barca burada," which means traitor in Angolan slang. It's worth remembering that Pedro Mantorras was invited by Luís Filipe Vieira to be an ambassador for Benfica, a position he has held since 2012. Even before that, there had been a disagreement with European champions Mário João and Fernando Cruz. Noronha Lopes' candidacy announced them as supporters, but the former players denied this support. Vitor Paneira and Ricardinho, however, have always been by the candidate's side. Initially, without any interest in positions, simply out of 'love' for the cause. Later, they became part of the football and other sports structures.

The candidate defeated in the first round was very active in his actions and speeches. He used every channel to question the value and ability of his opponent, accusing him of "selling snake oil" by not taking responsibility for the deficit in finances and lack of titles. He received, obviously, a response: "Don't listen to nonsense," said Rui Costa, who reassured the members: "You can sleep soundly."

Both candidates stated that everything is starting from scratch, but the truth is that the voting trend is clearly in favor of the current president, and it is not João Diogo Manteigas' support for his opponent that is keeping him awake at night.

In the televised head-to-head debate that the country witnessed, Rui Costa appeared confident and open to dialogue, while Noronha Lopes tried to win votes elsewhere, even praising Luís Filipe Vieira. The reason is understandable; the former president received 13.8% of the vote, but some of his supporters disliked this and considered the attitude unnatural. In fact, those who voted for Vieira feel closer to Rui Costa than to Noronha Lopes. This shift in Noronha Lopes's approach is unclear, and the question remains: how many votes will he gain from Vieira's supporters and how many will he lose from his own side?

It is within this framework that members will vote for continuity or change. If Rui Costa wins, the football structure will not undergo any changes, only be reinforced with the arrival of Humberto Coelho. If João Noronha Lopes wins, it is known that the football structure will change with the arrival of Pedro Ferreira as general manager.