Benfica’s FIFA team will now participate as Benfica Teleperformance for the next three years, in line with the agreement, pending renewal.
In its role as the naming sponsor, Teleperformance will also actively engage in the department’s strategy and talent development. The customer relations company will offer Benfica’s esports team a fully furnished gaming center outfitted with cutting-edge technology and equipment. The center is anticipated to be located within Teleperformance’s new �1.2 million (approx. ��1.0 million) esports arena in Lisbon.
The franchise’s key goal has been to win every single competition it partakes in, domestic and international. The top-flight gaming center will afford the team a standard training facility, competitive conditions, and the opportunity to build chemistry to achieve its goal.
The Chief Executive Officer of Teleperformance Portugal, Augusto Mart��nez Reyes, spoke about the partnership. He shared his excitement about the partnership and revealed that the partnership with Benfica was a no-brainer as a large number of its employees are fans of the club.
��We developed the Arena Gaming project and we were looking for the right partner to join this project with us and take it to a higher level. Benfica is one of the biggest clubs in Europe and the world and has a huge number of fans not only in Portugal but all over the world.
��A big part of our employees are Benfica fans and have a passion for gaming and we are happy and excited to embark on this partnership with a club that represents the same principles and ambitions as Teleperformance. We look forward to seeing where this project will take us.��
Domingos Soares de Oliveira, Benfica��s Chief Executive Officer, reacted to the collaboration and shared some insight on the franchise’s strategy. He also expressed his confidence in the partnership, as he envisions it will lead to the franchise’s growth.
��Our bet on digital as well as our focus on the significant transformation that the football industry is going through are growing at a fast pace; namely new ways of interacting with different targets and audiences, where gaming is a very strong part of that strategy. We��re confident that this partnership with a company like Teleperformance will boost the club��s esports project.��
Aside from FIFA, Benfica’s esports franchise has revealed its ambitions to expand its competitive roster, adding more esports titles like Leagues of Legends and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, amongst others. But in the meantime, Benfica Teleperformance intends to play in the eLiga Portugal and the FPF eFootball event, as well as other contests leading up to the FIFAe World Cup.
Benfica made its first move into esports in 2020, when it signed Brazilian player Henrique ‘Zezhino’ Lempke as its first esports player. The club has reaffirmed that it will continue to prioritize digital and new kinds of fan involvement, notably through gaming and esports.
]]>Zezinho participated in FIFA eWorld Cup in 2017 and 2019, where he reached the playoffs, which cemented him as one of the top-16 FIFA players in the world.
Zezinho also played in eChampions League 2019 earlier in May, where he clinched a third-fourth place finish, after suffering a devastating 4-8 defeat against the eventual silver-medallist Ivan “night_watch” Churov.
“Innovation is part of our DNA. Sport Lisboa e Benfica could not be indifferent to the growth of this virtual industry, and specifically esports,” Commercial and Marketing Director of S.L. Benfica Miguel Bento said.
“This is the first step in a bet for the future that will allow a greater involvement of our young fans in an activity that generates much passion and interest.”
The Portuguese club is rumoured to be looking for opportunities to further expand their involvement in the esports scene by signing more players in the near future. Whether they will look to add more FIFA players in order to be eligible to compete in the club tournaments or focus on other esports title is yet to be seen.
“I��m very happy to represent the biggest club in Portugal and one of the biggest in Europe. I can��t wait to wear the colours of Benfica and I��ll do my best to win even more trophies for the club,” said Zezinho following the announcement.
Zezinho is said to travel to Portugal in early October for the official unveiling of his signing to the Benfica fans, who will get to meet the Brazilian esports pro in person at Benfica’s home stadium – Benfica Sport Lisboa e Benfica Stadium.
Benfica’s first appearance in an official esports tournament came this Friday at FUT 20 Champions Cup Stage III, where Zezinho competed with 32 FIFA pros for the largest slice of US $60,000 prize pool and 2,000 GS points.
Benfica are not the only professional football club to have entered the esports scene. In fact, they are one of the late arrivals, seeing how there are numerous other clubs with their own FIFA esports teams, including Melbourne City FC, VfL Wolfsburg, Brondby IF, Ajax, Manchester City, Werder Bremen and FC Basel, just to name a few.
Paris Saint-Germain, the owners of PSG.LGD, already have a rich history in the Dota 2 scene, with two International medals, while seven-time German national football champions FC Schalke 04 own a League of Legends roster that competes in the LEC.
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