Tell me lies, tell me sweet little lies: Benfica elections are hotbed of surreal promises

You know how elections go: a few candidates and lots of promises, some of them over the top and surreal. One could say nothing but lies just to get into the office.

It's the same with presidential elections in some countries and in a football club, actually. You don't believe us? Then, check out what's happening at Benfica, where several candidates have splashed a jaw-dropping amount of surreal promises, including the acquisition of names like Jurgen Klopp, Ruben Amorim, Bernardo Silva and others...

With the 2025 Benfica presidential election approaching (October 25), candidates have been making high-stakes promises to acquire the club's supporters' votes, including Joao Noronha Lopes, who confirmed his wishes of bringing club graduate Bernardo Silva back from Manchester City. Noronha Lopes assured the newspaper "A Bola" that he would do everything possible to sign the 31-year-old Manchester City midfielder if he won at the polls.

"I can confirm that Bernardo Silva has a contract pending with Benfica. I am eager to sign him in January. He embodies everything I am looking for in the club: identity, a winning culture, and above all, he is a great Benfica fan. I assure you, we won't stop there," he told 'A Bola'.

Along with the squad reinforcements, Lopes has the idea of making some serious changes in the dugout if he beats legendary Rui Costa in next month's elections. His choice will be - somewhat shockingly - Ruben Amorim, of all the people.

He even witnessed the Manchester Derby on Sunday together with his vice-president, Nuno Gomes - one of Amorim's best friends who played alongside him for Benfica and Portugal - and general director, Pedro Ferreira.

Gomes was asked if their friendship would open the door to Amorim, a boyhood Benfica fan, taking over if Lopes wins the election.

He replied: "Ruben Amorim is the coach of Manchester United, I can't answer that question. One thing I know, Ruben Amorim will be the coach of Benfica one day."

At the same time, Noronha Lopes' counterpart, Cristovao Carvalho, has expressed his desire to replace current Benfica head coach Bruno Lage with former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp upon getting the job.

In January this year, the 58-year-old joined RB Leipzig as the Head of Global Soccer and has a contract with the club that is valid until 2029.

However, while speaking with SIC Noticias, Carvalho said that appointing a Champions League-winning coach is a key part of his project, citing Klopp as the ideal candidate.

"With me, Bruno Lage won't stay beyond his contract [which ends at the end of the season]. I need a coach of the highest level, who has already won the Champions League and who wants to win the Champions League with Benfica. There's only one name that comes to mind: Jurgen Klopp," as per GOAL.

"He even said that Benfica is a great club that he would like to coach one day. Someone who says this has something more than others to be at the club," concluded he.

Ahh, those promises and big names... We guess we'll have to wait and see what actually happens after October 25.