Rui Manuel César Costa
Nationality: Portuguese
Club: SL Benfica
ECA Executive Board Member since: 2023
Biography
A former professional footballer, he was nurtured at Sport Lisboa e Benfica, where he played as a professional in the first team. He moved to Fiorentina in 1994, and, in 2001, he moved to Milan to sign for AC Milan, where he played for five seasons, winning, among other, the Champions League. In 2006, he returned to his club, Benfica, and ended his career at the end of the 2007/08 season.
In 2008, he began his career as a manager, taking on the role of sports director of Sport Lisboa e Benfica and board member of Sport Lisboa e Benfica - Futebol, SAD. He was elected vice president of the club in 2020 and then, in 2021, president of Sport Lisboa e Benfica. In 2023, he was elected to the ECA Board.