League expects alcohol sales in stadiums “later this season” | OneFootball

Reinaldo Teixeira, president of the Portuguese Professional Football League, admitted that the sale of low-alcohol drinks could move forward in some stadiums, depending on the opinions of the authorities and the security forces. At the end of the LPFP’s ordinary General Assembly, the official also addressed rising attendances, increased ball-in-play time and the atmosphere among clubs, assuring that the change in stadiums could happen “this season”.

Speaking to journalists in Porto, Reinaldo Teixeira outlined the current state of the professional competitions after the General Assembly unanimously approved the Activity Report and Accounts for the 2025/26 season. The possible sale of beer and cider in stadiums emerged as one of the measures being prepared, following the pilot project carried out during the Cândido de Oliveira Super Cup between FC Porto and Torreeense in Coimbra.

For that match, the Government authorised the sale and consumption of low-alcohol drinks. The League is now awaiting the report from the Authority for the Prevention and Combating of Violence in Sport before discussing the matter with the GNR and the PSP.

“We are waiting for the report from the Authority for the Prevention and Combating of Violence in Sport, and we think it will be released this week, or at the latest next week, and after reviewing that report, we will speak with the law enforcement authorities, the GNR and the PSP, so that we can then introduce [the sale] in some stadiums,” he said.

The measure will always depend on the opinion of the security forces, will be limited to certain venues and will cover only low-alcohol drinks, such as beer and cider. According to the official, most sports companies have already amended their respective safety regulations.

Asked about the possibility of the change taking place during the current season, Reinaldo Teixeira revealed that the initial intention had been to begin the season with the measure already in force in some stadiums.

“We thought we had everything in place to start the season with some stadiums already operating under this measure. I do not want to give a specific date, but I feel that this is the intention, I feel that our fans deserve this and we will manage it soon, still this season,” he added.

The intention is clear, but the timetable remains open. The League is not treating the introduction of alcohol sales as a mere formality and is placing safety assessments at the centre of the decision.

The League president also highlighted the growth in attendances, revealing that more than 700,000 spectators attended stadiums during the first seven matchdays of the professional competitions.

“We had an average per game in Liga Portugal 2, which appears to be the highest record ever, of 2,196 fans. And an average in Liga Portugal of 12,215 fans,” he specified.

The figures were presented as a sign of the drawing power of the professional competitions. For the League, that added value is not measured only in the stands, but also in what happens during matches.

Reinaldo Teixeira linked the evolution of the competitions to the increase in ball-in-play time. The official attributed that trend to regulatory changes and to the attitude of players, coaches and referees.

“I feel, among the three main parties involved — in this case, the players, the coaches themselves and the referees — a concern with making better use of time, giving more time to the game,” he said.

The League president believes there is greater “awareness” of the need to reduce time-wasting situations. He also acknowledged the effect of rule changes introduced after the World Cup, highlighting the “shorter time [lost] on goal kicks or throw-ins”.

This reading points to a change that is both regulatory and behavioural. More than an automatic consequence of the rules, the increase in ball-in-play time is presented as the result of a commitment from the main participants.

Asked about the climate of public tension among executives from Portugal’s leading clubs, Reinaldo Teixeira dismissed the idea that this atmosphere is repeated in the body’s meetings.

“I do not see any guerrilla warfare in here, inside our house, inside the house of the sports companies,” he said.

According to the official, the clubs have shown a “positive contribution, constructive arguments” and “a cooperative attitude and focus on the good of the collective”. The image conveyed is that of a League where public disagreement does not prevent institutional work.

Reinaldo Teixeira also announced that the Arena Liga Portugal, in Porto, will host, on 14 and 15 October, the first fair dedicated to football. The initiative aims to bring together different sectors linked to the sport and bring them closer to clubs, fans and sports stakeholders.

“We are concerned with interacting with the fans, with the sports companies and with the football stakeholders,” explained Reinaldo Teixeira.

The League also intends to strengthen ties with other sports. The fair thus emerges as a further extension of the organisation’s strategy of closeness, bringing together in one space the various protagonists of football.

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