"The president of the board, Mr Rui Costa, underlining the unanimity of all vice-presidents, informed the board that he will promote all the candidates with the consultation to the associates", can be read in the note issued by the club, after the board meeting.

According to the note, the vote will not take place until the end of the current year.

Benfica's governing bodies held their quarterly meeting, in which they analysed the current situation of the club, marked by the recent arrest of president Luís Filipe Vieira, who has since been suspended and was succeeded by vice-president Rui Costa.

Luís Filipe Vieira was one of four detained in an investigation involving deals and financing of over 100 million Euros, with losses for the state, the club's SAD and Novo Banco.

Vieira, who is under house arrest until a bond of three million Euros is posted, and forbidden to leave the country, is indicted for breach of trust, fraud, forgery of documents, money laundering, and tax fraud.

According to the Public Prosecutor, the businessman caused losses to Novo Banco of at least 45.6 million Euros, compensated by the Resolution Fund.

In the same process were arrested for first judicial questioning his son Tiago Vieira, the football agent and lawyer Bruno Macedo and the businessman José António dos Santos, all indicted for swindling, forgery of documents, money laundering and tax fraud.