The president of Sporting, Frederico Varandas, accused this Sunday, April 12, his FC Porto counterpart, André Villas-Boas, of violating freedom of expression and making fun of the clinical condition of several people, in reaction to the latest statements.
“I heard the statements made by the president of FC Porto after the meeting with the minister and I didn’t see any question answered that all Portuguese people would like. Afterwards, I saw a serious attack on freedom of expression, with clear restrictions on commentators and journalists. And worse, he mocked the clinical condition of Sporting’s handball coach and player and a delegate. I haven’t seen this situation clarified yet, unfortunately”, expressed the director, speaking to journalists.
On the sidelines of the first edition of the Aurélio Pereira Tournament, Frederico Varandas spoke about Sporting and FC Porto’s meetings with the Government and confirmed an apology to Villas-Boas, which, he explained, was before the latest events.
“[O pedido de desculpas] It happened at a meeting promoted by Pedro Proença, where the presidents of FC Porto, Sporting, Benfica and Sporting de Braga were present. It was a positive and constructive meeting, where we evaluated several important dossiers for the development of Portuguese football. Pedro Proença called on the clubs to take responsibility and I apologized for some excess in some situations, but that was before our visits to Dragão and Dragão Arena”, he stressed.
In this way, Varandas launched a new challenge to the leader of the Porto club, with new revelations from a meeting of the four main Portuguese clubs with the candidates for the Portuguese Professional Football League (LPFP), already last year.
“The four clubs met, in a hotel in Vila Nova de Gaia, with the candidates for the presidency of the LPFP. There, Villas-Boas said: ‘An extremely important thing for us is sporting truth and cases of justice. The president of the LPFP has to have an iron fist’. He turned to Rui Costa and said: ‘This affects both of us and I have no problem saying that the Apito Dourado and the email case are a shame, so I wanted the League to say that this cannot happen again’”, he revealed.
And he asked: “I now ask: Will Villas-Boas also publicly say that Apito Dourado is a disgrace?”.
The ‘lions’ are in the semi-finals of the futsal Champions League and in the quarter-finals of the main European competition in football, handball and roller hockey, proof of the “consolidation of the sporting project” in one of the “best moments in history”.
“Sporting is in one of the best moments in its history, in a moment of great sporting strength, it is in the decision of the competitions, that’s where it wants to be. The campaign we had in the Champions League is a source of pride [de futebol]. The responsibility lies entirely with Arsenal”, stated the president.
Sporting lost the first leg against Arsenal, 1-0, in added time, but the tie’s decision was postponed until the second leg, at the Emirates Stadium, in London, to be held on Wednesday, starting at 8pm.
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