Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa on Benfica's row: amateurish approach | OneFootball

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa recently commented on the tense atmosphere in Portuguese football, with special attention to the wars between Benfica and its two rivals, Sporting and Porto. The President of the Republic was at the Football Summit, which kicked off this Wednesday, October 8, and was asked how it is possible to resolve the situation.

"I'm not going to comment on club presidents. But I tell you: we are aware that it's a spectacle like this, like that... But there is an effort from Portuguese football to better manage the clubs. I remember when I was a federation leader, what the amateurish way of managing the clubs and the federation was", began Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.

The President of the Republic continued his analysis: "I witnessed the leap in the 80s, and then the improvement in the 90s, and then the turn of the century, with many crises in between. And I think rationality is starting to come in. But we are living in a moment, in the world, of emotionality, and football is no exception".

"The emotional is winning over the rational. We have to admit that football is full of the emotional side, but it is because people, the fan, the supporter, the president, react with emotion", he then said, leaving the possible solution to the problem for the end.

"It changes through a culture where institutions play a fundamental role, and also with a global change. When you look at the great powers of the world, and everything starting in emotional politics, it's very difficult with the weight that this has in the media, not to be drawn into the emotional plane", concluded Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.

Check out Rui Costa and Frederico Varandas together, last year:

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