Pada 14 Mei 2008, Costa ditunjuk sebagai administrator Benfica SAD.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.jornaldenegocios.pt/empresas/detalhe/rui_costa_e_o_novo_administrador_do_benfica|title=Rui Costa é o novo administrador do Benfica|publisher=Jornal de Negócios|access-date=13 October 2021|date=14 May 2008|language=pt}}</ref> Untuk empat tahunan 2020–24, ia menjadi wakil presiden dewan direksi klub, sebagai bagian dari daftar Luís Filipe Vieira untuk mandat keenam berturut-turut.<ref>{{cite news|date=29 October 2020|title=2020 Elections: Luís Filipe Vieira re-elect|url=https://www.slbenfica.pt/en-us/agora/noticias/2020/10/28/clube-benfica-eleicoes-2020-orgaos-sociais-quadrienio-2020-2024-votacao|website=S.L. Benfica|access-date=13 October 2021}}</ref> AfterSetelah actingbertindak assebagai interimpresiden presidentsementara ofklub the club and itsdan SAD-nya fromdari 9 JulyJuli 2021,<ref>{{cite news|date= 9 July 2021|title=Statement|url=https://www.slbenfica.pt/en-us/agora/noticias/2021/07/09/clube-benfica-comunicado-rui-costa-assume-presidencia|work=S.L. Benfica|access-date=15 July 2021}}</ref> in the aftermath ofsetelah Vieira suspendingmenangguhkan hisjabatan presidencykepresidenannya duekarena toditangkap arrestdalam inoperasi operation ''Cartão Vermelho'' (RedKartu CardMerah),<ref>{{cite news|date=9 July 2021|title=Luís Filipe Vieira suspende funções de presidente|trans-title=Luís Filipe Vieira suspends functions of president|url=https://www.abola.pt/nnh/2021-07-09/luis-filipe-vieira-suspende-funcoes-de-presidente/897300|language=pt|newspaper=A Bola|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210712000201/https://www.abola.pt/nnh/2021-07-09/luis-filipe-vieira-suspende-funcoes-de-presidente/897300|archive-date=12 July 2021|access-date=15 July 2021}}</ref><ref name=AFP>{{cite news|date=10 October 2021|title=Rui Costa elected president of scandal-hit Benfica|url=https://www.barrons.com/news/rui-costa-elected-president-of-scandal-hit-benfica-01633856709|agency=Agence France-Presse|access-date=15 October 2021}}</ref> Costa wasadalah electedterpilih thesebagai 34thpresiden president ofke-34 Benfica onpada 9 OctoberOktober, assumingmenjabat officepada thehari following dayberikutnya. WithDengan 84.,48% of the votessuara, heia defeatedmengalahkan candidatecalon Francisco Benitez, whoyang receivedmemperoleh 12.,24%.<ref>{{cite news|date=9 October 2021|title=Eleições 2021: Rui Costa eleito Presidente|trans-title=2021 elections: Rui Costa elected president|url=https://www.slbenfica.pt/pt-pt/agora/noticias/2021/10/09/clube-benfica-eleicoes-2021-orgaos-sociais-quadrienio-2021-2025-votacao|language=pt|work=S.L. Benfica|access-date=13 October 2021}}</ref><ref name=AFP/>
DuringSelama electionkampanye campaignpemilihan, Costa hadtelah pledgedmenjanjikan, amongantara other promiseslain, a forensic audit offorensik theSAD club's SADklub (toakan bedipresentasikan presented inpada September 2023),<ref name="audit and statutes">{{cite news|date=15 June 2023|title=Resultados da auditoria em setembro; novos estatutos votados em julho|trans-title=Audit results [to be presented] in September; new statutes [to be] voted in July|url=https://www.abola.pt/nnh/2023-06-15/benfica-resultados-da-auditoria-em-setembro-novos-estatutos-votados-em-julho/992027|language=pt|work=A Bola|access-date=22 June 2023}}</ref> arevisi revisionundang-undang of the club's statutesklub (toakan bedipilih votedpada in JulyJuli 2023),<ref name="audit and statutes"/> transparencytransparansi regardingmengenai footballtransfer transferssepak bola, retentionretensi of playerspemain "madebuatan inSeixal [[Futebol Campus|Seixal]]", apengurangan reductionjumlah of the number of playerspemain, aupah [[maximum wage]] formaksimum playerspemain, anddan improvements toperbaikan Estádio da Luz.<ref>{{cite news|date=8 October 2021|title=Tudo o que precisa de saber sobre as eleições do Benfica|trans-title=All you need to know about Benfica elections|url=https://desporto.sapo.pt/futebol/primeira-liga/artigos/tudo-o-que-precisa-de-saber-sobre-as-eleicoes-do-benfica|language=pt|work=Sapo Desporto|access-date=6 June 2023}}</ref>
IncludingTermasuk hisperan interim roleinterimnya, thetim [[2021–22sepak S.L.bola Benficaputra season|men'stidak footballmeraih team]]trofi wasdi trophylessbawah undertahun hispertama first year of presidencykepresidenannya. BackKembali inpada JanuaryJanuari 2022, Costa hadmengatakan saidbahwa thattanda histangannya signaturepada onkontrak playerpemain contractsyang undersedang investigationdiselidiki byoleh authoritiespihak inberwenang di ''Cartão Vermelho''didtidak notmenyiratkan implybahwa hedia wasberkolusi in collusiondengan withsiapa anyonepun.<ref>{{cite news|date=12 January 2022|title=Rui Costa e o seu nome nos contratos: "Não implica que eu estivesse em conluio"|trans-title=Rui Costa and his name on contracts: "It does not imply that I was in collusion|url=https://www.record.pt/futebol/futebol-nacional/liga-bwin/benfica/detalhe/rui-costa-e-o-seu-nome-nos-contratos-nao-implica-que-eu-estivesse-em-conluio|language=pt|work=Record|access-date=6 June 2023}}</ref> DuringSelama thejendela 2022–23transfer wintermusim [[transferdingin 2022–23 window]], Costa promisedberjanji notuntuk totidak releasemelepaskan central[[gelandang midfieldertengah]] [[Enzo Fernández]] unlesskecuali aklub clubmembayar paidklausul thepembelian player's [[buyout clause]]pemain,<ref>{{cite news|last=Nogueira|first=Carlos|date=4 January 2023|title=Enzo num impasse. Chelsea resiste a pagar 120 milhões|trans-title= |url=https://www.dn.pt/desporto/enzo-num-impasse-chelsea-resiste-a-pagar-120-milhoes-15600151.html|language=pt|work=Diário de Notícias|access-date=1 February 2023}}</ref> buttetapi Fernández leftmeninggalkan Benfica viamelalui negotiationnegosiasi onpada 31 JanuaryJanuari 2023, withdengan Benfica payingmembayar toke "intermediaryperantara serviceslayanan" for theuntuk transfer.<ref>[https://web3.cmvm.pt/sdi/emitentes/docs/FR84638.pdf Benfica's announcement to the CMVM (in Portuguese)]</ref> AfterSetelah signingpenandatanganan withdengan [[Roger Schmidt (footballer)|Roger Schmidt]], Benfica's firstManajer non-PortuguesePortugis managerpertama sinceBenfica sejak Flores, theklub clubtersebut wonmemenangkan the [[2022–23Liga Primeira Liga]]2022–23, endingmengakhiri apenantian four-yeartrofi selama trophyempat waittahun.
