Madonna moves to Lisbon as son joins Benfica youth academy

Madonna has reportedly moved to Lisbon after her 11-year-old son David Banda joined the Benfica football team youth academy.

The Portuguese weekly magazine Visão reported: 'Madonna is no longer a tourist, she now lives in Lisbon.' It republished several pictures from Madonna’s Instagram account that show her visiting Portugal over the past couple of months.

The singer has been staying in a Lisbon hotel after buying a house in the resort of Sintra, 17 miles (27km) north-east of the Portuguese capital.

The 19th-century building was put up for sale for €7.5m (£7m) and could take about six months to renovate, according to Visão.

David Banda, who Madonna adopted from Malawi in 2006, has joined the Benfica training centre in Seixal, Correio da Manhã reported.

The club accepted David Banda after his first test in the spring. He will stay at the academy until starting at a French high school in Lisbon, the newspaper reported, quoting a source close to Benfica.

Rumours about a possible move began when Madonna was spotted at the school in May. She joins celebrities including John Malkovich, Monica Bellucci and Michael Fassbender in owning a home in Lisbon.

The city has enjoyed a cultural renaissance in recent years and is regarded by many as hip, cheap and innovative.

From The Guardian