Cristóvão Carvalho, one of the six confirmed candidates for the Benfica presidential elections, has put Jürgen Klopp at the centre of his campaign plans.
In an interview with Desporto ao Minuto, the 52-year-old lawyer revealed that, if elected on 25 October, his first priority will be to bring the former Liverpool manager to Lisbon to lead a long-term project aimed at winning the Champions League.
Carvalho made it clear he respects Bruno Lage and will back him until the end of the season, but he does not see him as the right man for the future. He stressed that even a domestic double would not be enough to extend the current coach’s contract.
According to Carvalho, Benfica need a figure of international standing. Someone with charisma, experience and authority to inspire both players and supporters.
The presidential hopeful admitted that initial talks with Klopp have already taken place. He explained that “the door is half open”, and recalled a moment when the German told him directly: “I would like to coach Benfica.” Carvalho described those words as something that “filled his heart” and strengthened his conviction that Klopp could be persuaded to take charge.
If he wins the election, Carvalho says one of his first actions will be to sit down with the former Liverpool boss and present him with a detailed plan.
He believes that, given the right conditions, Klopp could guide Benfica to Champions League glory within five or six years. “The idea is to meet him the following week and show him the project, a project to win the Champions League,” he explained.
Asked about alternatives, Carvalho dismissed the idea of preparing a second option. In his words, thinking about a plan B would already mean weakening plan A. He insisted that he is absolutely determined, and that if Klopp is not available, then only a coach of the same calibre would be considered.
Throughout the interview, Carvalho underlined that continuity and stability are the pillars of his proposal. He argued that only with long-term planning can Benfica break Sporting’s domestic dominance and re-establish themselves as a force in Europe. As he put it, “this is a project to see through to the end. You only win with continuity, certainty and security.”
If successful, his plan would mark Klopp’s return to management after his trophy-laden spell at Liverpool. Carvalho’s vision is that Benfica could be the stage for the German’s next great project.
