“If Villas-Boas attacks Nacional's model, maybe it's good, bar top 3” | OneFootball

The president of Marítimo said this Saturday that the club will “respect the guidance” of Liga Portugal at the General Assembly (GA) where the distribution formula for the audiovisual rights of the First and Second Leagues will be put to a vote.

Carlos André Gomes recalled that Marítimo is part of the board of Liga Centralização, the body currently examining the issue of audiovisual rights for professional football competitions, as provided for in Decree-Law no. 22-B/2021, of 22 March, with the aim of “building something positive for Portuguese football”.

“Depending on the guidance and the agenda of the GA, Marítimo will take its position in defence of Portuguese football,” said the president of the Madeira club.

The official was speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the celebrations marking the centenary of the club’s Campeonato de Portugal title win in 1925/26, at a ceremony held at Estádio do Marítimo, in Funchal.

The green-and-reds’ leader also commented on recent statements by FC Porto president, André Villas-Boas, who threatened to go to court if Nacional’s alternative proposal regarding the centralisation of audiovisual rights is approved.

The black-and-whites’ proposal favours a more balanced distribution among all clubs, while LPFP’s proposal places greater emphasis on media reach and sporting merit.

On the matter, Carlos André Gomes said that the criticism from his blue-and-white counterpart represents a “normal defensive position” by FC Porto.

“When president André Villas-Boas comes out attacking Nacional’s model, it may well be because that model is good for Portuguese football as a whole, except for the big three,” he observed.

Despite the rivalry, Carlos André Gomes explained that Marítimo had in fact “been working” with Nacional on preparing an alternative formula for distributing revenues, believing it is important to “provide some stability for Portuguese football”.

The extraordinary GA is scheduled for Monday, starting at 10:00, in the auditorium at LPFP headquarters in Porto, and will mark another step in the centralisation of broadcasting rights for matches in the top two divisions, due to begin from the 2028/29 season.

On 17 April, the clubs approved by majority the body’s proposal regarding the domestic market sales process, with Benfica voting against and fellow top-flight club Nacional abstaining.

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