Government calls for the “commitment” of all agents to combat violence in sport

“The Government is doing its job, with legislative reforms in areas where more investment is needed. But there is no perfect legislation to remove violent contexts in sport once and for all. It is necessary that everyone commit to this cause, which is a cause of all”, declared João Paulo Correia to the Lusa agency.

The Secretary of State for Youth and Sports was speaking at the São Miguel stadium, in Ponta Delgada, after a meeting with the Santa Clara SAD, in a visit that concluded the itinerary that led the minister to meet with the 18 sports companies of the I Turns on.

João Paulo Correia recalled that the Government approved a package of initiatives to combat sports violence, which is being discussed in the specialty in the Assembly of the Republic, stressing that, “everything indicates”, at the beginning of next season there will be “new measures” and “more investment”.

“The fight against violence, the incitement to violence, summons all sports organizations, whether competition organizers, clubs, sports agents, athletes and managers. All for this fight ”, he reinforced.

The Secretary of State recalled the “great awareness campaign” of the Portuguese Institute of Sports and Youth, which seeks to “promote fair play” among young athletes from different sports.

The government official also highlighted the reform of the legal regime of the SAD (already approved by the executive and which is under discussion in the specialty in parliament), which will require “suitability requirements”, new “transparency duties” and “remove conflicts of interest”.

“It is important that the essentials of the SAD are public knowledge in order to have more confidence. Those who want to invest in SADs will have to prove that they have capital for the investment they promise and also prove the origin of the capital”, he stressed.

Regarding the visit, João Paulo Correia praised the “ambition” of the Santa Clara SAD, a club that he considered to be one of “the greatest ambassadors of the Azores”.

“It is a SAD that is experiencing economic and financial stability that I would say historic. It is a SAD that has a credible investor, which has a medium and long-term project for the SAD and for the club and that can bring a very bright future to the fans”, he highlighted.

The president of the SAD of the Azoreans, Bruno Vicintin, thanked the presence of the Secretary of State and stated that the structure intends to invest in infrastructure and training.

“Unfortunately, the sporting results this year have not been as expected. But we hope, if the relegation is confirmed, to work to return as soon as possible to the first division and to start the works of the training center next season. Football in the Azores will take the leap that the region deserves”, he told Lusa.

The leader of Santa Clara, which occupies the last place in the classification of the First Football League, reiterated that the eventual relegation of division does not change the intentions of the current leaders, since the club “is not a one-year project”.

“With so many changes, the team has suffered a lot this season. We believe that we will seek stability in the coming seasons and, if the descent is confirmed – which is not yet confirmed –, we want to return as quickly as possible to the first season”, he concluded.