Luís Filipe Ferreira Vieira (born 22 June 1949) is a Portuguese real estate businessman who was the 33rd president of sports club S.L.

[1] He was also president of the club's SAD board of directors until July 2021,[2] when he was arrested in operation "Red Card" (Portuguese: Cartão Vermelho).

[8] In 2008, seven years after leaving the company,[8] Vieira was ranked by Portuguese magazine Exame as the 74th wealthiest person in Portugal, with a fortune of €162 million, mostly due to his real estate business called Grupo Inland.

[22] On 31 October 2003, Vieira was elected 33rd president of Benfica, with 90,47% of the votes of its members, thus succeeding Manuel Vilarinho, who had beaten João Vale e Azevedo in 2000.

[33] On 3 July 2009, after dismissing the club's governing bodies on 8 June to call early elections, Vieira was reelected with 91.74% of the votes, defeating Bruno Costa Carvalho, who got 2.98%, in a total of 20,672 voters.

Benfica presented an €11 million loss, despite heavy earnings in the previous UEFA Champions League campaign and through the sales of players such as Fábio Coentrão and Roberto.

[61] Later, in September, in a heated general assembly of the club, following the 5–0 away defeat to FC Basel in the Champions League, Vieira was contested (and insulted) by some members of Benfica.

"[65] The club's overall performance in 2017–18 was deemed negative,[66] as Benfica did not win any league title in men's basketball, football, futsal, handball, roller hockey and volleyball.

"[67] In late November 2018, Vieira was about to sack Rui Vitória after a string of bad results, but he changed his mind overnight due to "a feeling, a light", thus keeping the coach.

[75] If successful, the takeover would benefit the largest single shareholder of Benfica SAD, José António dos Santos ("King of Chickens"), friend and business partner of Vieira.

[76][77] For the 2020–21 season, Vieira signed Jorge Jesus for a second time, as part of the club's €105 million investment amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the biggest ever in Portuguese football.

[79] On 28 October 2020, shortly after the beginning of the 2020–21 season, Vieira was reelected for a sixth term with 62.59% of votes,[83] the lowest percentage he ever obtained, in the most participated electoral meeting in the history of the club, with 38,102 total voters.

[84][85] The elections were marked by controversy, as the general assembly president at the time, Virgílio Duque Vieira, refused to count (physical) votes after promising Luís Filipe Vieira's opposition to do so,[86] with ballot boxes, some of them poorly sealed,[87] being taken away in ordinary and apparently insecure vehicles by a company in charge of Benfica football team's security.

On 10 June 2021, Vieira was the target of a civil lawsuit by lawyer and Benfica member Jorge Mattamouros with the goal of removing him from presidency for violation of the club's statutes.

[93] On 7 July, Vieira and José António dos Santos were arrested on suspicions of breach of trust against Benfica, aggravated fraud, tax evasion, forgery, and money laundering.

[97][98] In addition, Vieira and businessman Bruno Macedo are accused of embezzling €2.5 million from transfers of footballers Derlis González, Cláudio Correa, and César Martins.

[99] Two days after the arrest, Vieira suspended his functions as president,[100][101] despite the club statutes not allowing it,[102] and was temporarily replaced by vice-president Rui Costa.

[104][105] He released a statement two days later requesting supporters to "remain calm in defending the good reputation of the wonderful institution that is Benfica", and his lawyer said Vieira was considering a return as club president.

[117] In September that year, at the request of Novo Banco, the Civil Court of Lisbon ordered the seizing of Vieira's Benfica shares and a house.