Benfica may block the entry of the new US shareholder, who has just closed a deal to acquire a 16% stake in the Portuguese team.

The issue stems from the fact that American investor Tim Leiweke recently invested approximately €100 million in Venezia FC of Italy.

Benfica’s management is considering using a clause in its statutes to prevent the consortium led by Leiweke from completing the acquisition of a 16.4% stake held by Portuguese businessman José António dos Santos in the Sociedade Anônima Desportiva (SAD).

Benfica’s statutes stipulate that investors considered to have competing interests cannot acquire more than 2% of the SAD, information that has already been conveyed to Leiweke’s team.

This same clause had already been used in 2021 to block the purchase of a 25% stake in the club by American investor John Textor, owner of other teams such as Crystal Palace in England, Olympique Lyonnais in France, and Botafogo in Brazil.

According to Bloomberg, which broke the news, no final decision has been made and the deal could still go through. Benfica’s board is expected to meet in the coming days to discuss the potential transaction.

Entrepreneur Equity Partners, in which Tim Lieweke’s daughter, Francesca Bodie, recently appointed vice-president of Venezia FC, participates, intends to acquire minority stakes in European football clubs. Benfica is concerned that this strategy could compromise its independence.

A potential acquisition by Benfica would represent one of the largest foreign investments in the history of a Portuguese club and the second major American investment in the club, following Lenore Sports Partners’ acquisition of a 5.24% stake last year.