Teixeira to Villas-Boas on Tondela-Sporting delay: “By the book” | OneFootball

Reinaldo Teixeira, president of Liga Portugal, was present this Monday on the first of two days of the ANTF 2026 Forum, taking place in Albufeira.

On the sidelines of the event, and speaking to the journalists in attendance, the official commented on the recent exchange of accusations between Sporting and FC Porto, particularly Sporting’s statement demanding an urgent meeting with the Government and the editorial signed by André Villas-Boas in the latest edition of Dragões Magazine. Teixeira acknowledged that the tension between the two rivals is part of football.

“We respect everyone’s space, and the appeal is to do everything possible so that there is as little criticism as possible, or none at all. The League was also criticised, and we accepted that in the knowledge that we are complying with the regulations and with the instructions and interpretations of the bodies responsible for those regulations. What I can say is that we should all do everything we can to avoid criticism, but starting with ourselves, because if the example comes from us, we are in a better position to tell others not to do it. It is up to us to provide the best conditions in stadiums for fans, players, referees and coaches in order to enhance football. Sometimes, an expression that may seem useful to say for the fan base is not always as beneficial as it should be, because if I communicate to one side and that weakens the whole, I have to understand what I should do. My team and I, who are very committed and serious, reflect on how to convey a positive message for everyone. The League will always respond publicly to whatever makes sense in order to enhance football, and it will keep the proper focus to send the message that Portuguese football is sixth in UEFA and consolidating that position, while looking toward fifth.”

Did you understand those criticisms, particularly regarding FC Porto’s reaction to the postponement of Sporting’s match against Tondela? In your opinion, were there grounds for those criticisms?

“It is a matter of interpretation. For us, we interpret the regulations and act accordingly. Fortunately, our clubs managed to make our schedule more difficult with victories in Europe, and may that continue all the way to the finals. We respected the schedules, the regulations and the rules. Other parties may have differing opinions, but we are fully convinced that we did what the regulations determine and require. As for setting the match date, the calendars shared at the start of the season are guidelines; then there are meetings of the Permanent Calendar Commission to set the exact day and time. In that specific case, the match was scheduled for the 29th, and we will see how the teams perform in Europe. Criticism helps us grow. On 16 April, I will mark 12 months in this role, and some of your colleagues who said I would not last three months had the decency to say publicly that, in the end, I have shown that I am more than they expected. I myself reflect on my actions, and if I say something I regret, I will try to be more careful in future, but it is part of a democratic country to have differing opinions. Fortunately, up to today it has been dialogue and criticism, but the path shows that what was said did not always end up happening.”

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.