Rui Pedro Braz explains out of Benfica: “I told Rui Costa...”

Rui Pedro Braz gave an extensive interview to this Sunday edition of the newspaper The Ball, in which it unveiled the reasons for leaving the position of sports director of Benfica, which it occupied between June 2021 and October 2025, before heading for Saudi Arabia, to take over the reins of Al-Ahli Jeddah.

“Very peaceful. It was a very frank conversation between me and President Rui Costa. I told him that I wanted to try a project out there, there were several possibilities at the time, some were even reported... ", started by stating, before assuming that the passage by the Club of Light did not go as you would, from the point of view of the results.

“ I like to set myself up, and if I don't reach them, I think my work is down. A championship in four was, for me, clearly little. The others will speak for themselves, but I think we were due to the Benfiquists, at least one more champion, another Cup of Portugal and, eventually, another Cup of the League, to consider a positive work ", reflected.

“ I think we could and should have done more, and I realized it was time to embrace a project out there, and allow other people to come and do better. I hope this happens and that people do much better than I did. It will be a good sign for Benfica and I will be extraordinarily happy as a fan and as a partner. ", completed.

In this sense, the former sports commentator denied any kind of malaise with Rui Costa: “No, nothing. Quite the contrary. I have nothing to point to President Rui Costa. As a person, as a professional, as a Benfiquist... I would like people to respect what is being done a little more. Sometimes I read and hear things that shock me. There are people who don't deserve to be the target of certain attacks, and there are things that revolt me a little bit. But he is strong and will endure everything and anything else”.

Rui Costa “was and is” prepared to be president of Benfica

In this same interview, Rui Pedro Braz defended the work carried out by Rui Costa, despite the criticisms that were cast on him by his predecessor in the presidency of Benfica, Luís Filipe Vieira, ensuring that the former Portuguese international “was and is” prepared to perform the functions.

“ It is obvious that President Vieira himself was not the same in the beginning and in the end. People learn. And Rui Costa, for sure, is, today, much better president than he was on that first day. He did not think twice, gave the bullets the breast at that moment, assumed a mission that few would be willing to assume, made it body and soul ", he recalled.

“ If there's anything anyone can accuse this president of, it's a lack of dedication, lack of beneficism, love of the club, seriousness, honesty. Today he's a much better president, and he'll keep on getting better. And people need to remember that this president has already been legitimized in the polls twice, with an absolute majority. That has to be respected. It is in the polls that the partners have the opportunity to decide the future of the club ", concluded.