Bruno Sá vs Frederico Varandas: Key quotes from Sporting election | OneFootball

The businessman and member of Sporting, Bruno Sá, made clear his intention to run for the Presidency of Sporting against Frederico Varandas. In an extensive interview with the newspaper A Bola, the owner of the restaurant “O Cantinho do Sá” explained his reasons for entering the electoral race on March 14. Check out everything he said.

What motivates you to run for the presidency of Sporting?

"First of all, I want to clarify that this is not a candidacy against anyone. But Sporting is a huge universe, there are 3 million people, 150 thousand members, and I think it is very important to have democracy here and a different idea of the club from the one this Board is pursuing, which is very much along the lines of clients, of a company. I think we are moving away from the essence of Sporting. I identify two fundamental points: I come representing the people who have gradually distanced themselves from the club with this client-based idea, and to warn about some things that I, as someone who lives Sporting day-to-day, think could happen and feel may be jeopardizing the future a bit, especially the return to the pre-Ruben Amorim sports policy, which I feel is happening post-Amorim; the other fundamental point is the relationship with the members, which has been very complicated."

What needs to change at Sporting?

"We are disconnecting from the essence of the club, which is the members. Making members take off their shoes at the entrance to games, abandoning the club branches, general assemblies without people... you can really notice it, even though Sporting has been a winning club, something for which I am very grateful to president Frederico Varandas. But you can see that the stadium is rarely full, the arena is almost always empty, despite the titles. I notice everything is very corporate, very business-like, and Sporting’s members like the connection to the club and the emotion. That has been cut off, in what I think is a dangerous path of distancing from the members, distancing from the branches, from the GOA [organized supporter groups] themselves who were pushed away, all these controversies with the “Lugares de Leão”, with the “Vitalícios”... What is this client path that Sporting wants to follow? Is it possible that a part of the SAD, the majority of the SAD, will be sold?"

Can you explain better the idea of pre- and post-Amorim?

"The President, in a scenario where he was booed, heard ‘oh Varandas, what are you doing here’, saw white handkerchiefs and had the Board’s cars stoned, decided to hand the club over to Ruben Amorim, turnkey style. We handed the club over to a coach. That is not the idea I support. I support a core structure in the club, that passes from president to president, forgetting that consecutive practice of whoever comes next speaking ill of those who came before. We are all working for Sporting. Having handed the club to a coach, we have this problem: we will suffer some fluctuations. Rui Borges, despite being a person of great character and a good man, has not had the autonomy that Sporting gave to Ruben Amorim."

Are you aware that you are an outsider in this race, facing a very strong wave for the most titled President in history?

"I am aware of that. I am very grateful for the titles Frederico Varandas has given us, the joy he has given us. Now, my mission here is a bit to return to the essence of Sporting, to reunite the leonine family. To represent those who do not identify with this Board and to alert the others, who are not seeing beyond the results and do not understand the structural problems, the lack of a sports project. I want to show that it is possible to win, but to treat people well: treat the branches, the GOA, the Vitalícios, the Lugares de Leão well..."

What would you consider a good result?

"I don’t know. For me, the important thing now is to represent these people I mentioned. I can’t predict what my result will be. The members will decide."

Are you positioning yourself for future elections, in a post-Frederico Varandas era?

"No. I had a series of meetings, I listened to many people. I deal daily with Sporting fans, from the Stromp to the fifty-year members, linked to the supporter groups, linked to various former presidents, former candidates. I think this is the time to warn about what could happen. I wouldn’t feel right waiting, as others are doing, for 2030. I have noticed a lot of politics in this Sporting, many groups thinking of entering here in a political way, aiming for the moment when Frederico Varandas leaves. I am moving forward now because in 2030 it may be too late."

What risks does Sporting face until 2030?

"Sporting is moving towards a business idea, distancing itself from the members, from the base, from the essence of the club. My big question here: what is the goal of this? There were a series of deals with Chelsea, Essugo, Quenda... It seems that Sporting is open to capital entering the SAD, but it is not clear what the intention is: to sell part of the SAD, the majority of the SAD? Once again, are we returning to a pre-Amorim era, where Sporting will be detached from results? I also feel a bit of fear about the end of the cycle. I strongly support the idea that ‘you don’t change a winning team’ and I notice that Sporting already had great difficulties winning last year. I think we are living too much in the recent past and not looking ahead."

What connection do you have or have you had with Sporting’s supporter groups?

"I was an athlete at Sporting. My life was spent from pavilion B to gate 10A, from where we would follow the players all the way up. I already knew many people. My brother at the time was in the supporter group, I knew some members and then I joined it too for a while. I continued as a Sporting athlete in basketball until the section closed. In the meantime, I opened what I call the Sporting confessional... [referring to the restaurant he owns, very close to the stadium]".

Are you talking about Juventude Leonina?

"Yes. It was a short stint. My brother was the one who was a member of the group. I had some connection. And nowadays I have the restaurant open next to the stadium and deal with everyone, from all groups."

Could this close connection with people from the supporter groups harm you in any way, or even benefit you?

"I think it’s good to have gone through the various sectors of the club. I deal with everyone in the club, I think there are good and bad people in the supporter groups, as in all groups. If I may recall, one of the slogans of Frederico Varandas’ campaign was that he had belonged to the JL of Avenida de Roma. My time there was very short, as I said, and I respect the GOA, I respect all Sporting groups."

Would you be willing to talk to the GOA if you become President?

"I would like you to ask all Sporting captains a question: do you prefer to play with or without supporter groups? What is the environment for teams to be closer to victory? I think it’s with supporter groups. Obviously, I will open dialogue, within the rules imposed by the club. One of them, and the main one: everyone must be a member. My vision is one of accountability and openness to dialogue."

Are you concerned about the proven relationship, over the years, between supporter groups and far-right movements that go beyond sports?

"Supporter groups always have good and bad people. It’s like everything in life. We don’t control everything, we just have to ensure that the GOA follow the rules."

What support for your candidacy can you already announce publicly?

"I have the support of many Sporting fans. It’s something we will show throughout the campaign. There are many people who do not want to give their name at this stage. That was one of the things I noticed! People want to be associated with victories, they wait for the right moment to come in after Frederico Varandas leaves, a bit like in politics. Since I’m not much of a politician, I prefer to move forward now."

Do you have the lists ready for all the bodies?

"All ready."

Can you reveal names?

"Not for now."

What do you consider to have been well done, less well done, or badly done by Frederico Varandas over the past eight years?

"Obviously there were many things well done, which brought sporting success. But I do not forget the handing over of autonomy to Ruben Amorim, for example. And now what worries me is this path we are taking of moving away from the essence of the club, from the members, a path of clients, of business."

Couldn’t that be beneficial for Sporting from a financial point of view?

"There are some things that worry me, namely the large increase in the club’s debt to the SAD, which once again makes us suspicious of external capital coming in. I want them to clarify if this is linked to Chelsea, and if the idea is to sell a part or the majority of the SAD. Something else that has increased a lot is the debt to suppliers. At this moment the debt is almost more than double what it was when they took over. The liabilities have not decreased. We have really had positive balances every six months, but it is important to know this: whenever there is a six-month profit, the administrators are rewarded. Maybe that explains a lot the decision a year and a half ago to sell Essugo and Quenda to Chelsea, favoring those who lead the social bodies because they receive a bonus."

Do you think there is a practice of exercising functions on a six-month basis, so that there can be such bonuses?

"I think there is a relationship. One of the flags of this board is that Sporting belongs 90% to the members. The administrators, last year, awarded themselves about 300 thousand euros; the president gave himself a raise six times. I think there is a big game here between sports policy and self-benefit. And for me, that will never be Sporting’s path."

Whether it’s Chelsea or any other partner, do you see external capital entering the SAD as beneficial? Do you draw the line at 50% plus one for the club or do you admit another scenario?

"I think there must be clarity in communication and to say what is being considered. On the SAD issue as well as this new 250 million loan. And I don’t think there is clear communication. There is an exploitation of good results to let everything pass. Since I defend the origin of the Club and the essence of the club and the members, I will never consider selling the majority of the SAD."

What would you have done differently in the winter transfer market for the professional team?

"More than the winter market itself, I would like to question something that has been observed: no player leaves Sporting on good terms. Gyokeres didn’t show up to train in the summer, now the captain is demanding to leave... There is a renewal policy and a promise of departure that will be detrimental to Sporting. At the end of the season, four starters will leave. And you can see here an absence of planning, of strategy, because no replacement has arrived yet. Four starters: Diomande, who renewed but has that promise to leave, Hjulmand, Morita, and Quenda."

You have spoken about pre- and post-Amorim. But are you talking only about the former coach or also about Hugo Viana?

"It is clear that there is no well-defined structure at Sporting now. It seems that no one has the autonomy that Hugo Viana and Ruben Amorim had."

Have you chosen people for those roles?

"Yes, those people are already chosen. Obviously, the best are all working at clubs. If I get there, if that’s the members’ decision, I will present the people."

Speaking of the sports previously called amateur, there is a great closeness of the roller hockey, volleyball, handball, futsal, basketball teams to Bruno, also due to the restaurant near the stadium. Do you think you can get some support here?

"Besides the sports policy and the relationship with the members, that is another issue: I notice some disinvestment in the sports. In our management model, the president leads the SAD and the club. And should lead by example and by presence. I think our president is not very close to the sports. We have managed to win some titles (I would also like to praise Miguel Afonso here for the excellent work he does, achieving titles with fewer resources than direct rivals). But I really think leadership has to be exercised by example. Sporting is at a high level in handball, for example, it could take a qualitative leap almost to win a Champions League, as it has already done in futsal. But there has been clear disinvestment. I also notice that there should be a stronger commercial department, there should be merchandising for the sports. The sports are the heart of the club and this president is not someone who knows the athletes, who lives the sports. That ends up being detrimental to them. What will an athlete in the sports feel who is negotiating 100 euros to renew and then sees the president and the social bodies awarding themselves 300 thousand euros annually for winning titles? Sporting’s champion athletes in the sports do not receive prizes. That is a situation that will have to be looked at and reviewed, because for me there is no difference. I notice that Frederico Varandas is a president only of the SAD. I will be a president of the club and the SAD."

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