Benfica District is in the final phase of the licensing process, according to Nuno Catarino, vice-president and financial administrator of Benfica SAD, in an interview with ECO. The project awaits approval from the Lisbon City Council and, according to the official, "time is already beginning to be urgent" for the licensing to be concluded quickly.
The total cost of the project is 220 million euros, plus 75 million for the expansion of the Estádio da Luz. Nuno Catarino considers that finding financiers "will be the easiest part," justifying that there is great interest in the project due to its revenue-generating capacity, the association with the Benfica brand, and the real estate component located near the city center.
The official ruled out the need to open the capital of Benfica Estádio, the company responsible for the project, at least at this stage. Catarino explained that the project is in the "project finance" phase and that its quality is sufficient to self-finance.
As for naming, Nuno Catarino revealed that the new 10,000-seat arena will "surely" have naming partners, and that the club is also seeking partners for the Estádio da Luz itself, having been "quite close to closing" agreements before. However, any agreement will only be finalized after the licensing is concluded.
