Benfica and Porto at war? League president: “I don't see hostilities” | OneFootball

The atmosphere between Benfica and Porto once again came under the spotlight after the Liga’s seventh-round clássico, which ended with a 1-0 win for the Dragons and was marked by controversy surrounding the refereeing. Despite the climate of tension between the two clubs, however, Reinaldo Teixeira says he does not see any scenario of “guerrilla warfare” within the Liga.

Asked about the matter after the unanimous approval of the accounts for the 2025/26 season, the president of Liga Portugal highlighted the atmosphere that, he says, he has found among the sports corporations: “Within the sports corporations, what I have always seen is a positive contribution, constructive argumentation and a cooperative attitude focused on the good of football. I do not see guerrilla warfare inside our house,” the official stressed.

The Liga president also took the opportunity to underline that decisions related to the championship should be left to the main actors in the competition, while the organization’s mission is to create better conditions for Portuguese football: “Decisions regarding the championship and the competition belong to the sporting agents: the players, the coaches and the referees. The Liga’s role is to create conditions for us to have better pitches and infrastructure — in this administration we have already intervened in more than 24 pitches — reducing costs and increasing revenue,” he explained.

Later asked about the statements made by André Villas-Boas, president of Porto, regarding the clássico on 20 September, Reinaldo Teixeira again stressed the need for the Liga to focus on finding solutions: “Public statements by officials are part of the football context. In Liga meetings, what I feel is that everyone is focused and committed to the good of football and of the collective.”

Finally, the president of Liga Portugal also highlighted the process of centralizing audiovisual rights, assuring that the clubs are committed to finding a solution. “We are on the threshold of the process of centralizing audiovisual rights. Everyone is committed to establishing robust regulations,” he concluded.

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