The Professional Footballers’ Union (SJPF) said the decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (TAD) to lift the suspension of coach Miguel Afonso, accused of sexual harassment, was “chilling”.
The TAD decided to lift the suspension of Miguel Afonso, accused in a case of sexual harassment of players he trained at Rio Ave, based on the amnesty decree for Pope Francis’ visit to Portugal.
“The SJPF was surprised by this decision and was amazed at the lightness and insensitivity shown by the TAD. This is a legally wrong decision, the reasoning of which is absolutely unacceptable,” it said in a statement.
The organization led by Joaquim Evangelista recalls that in the disciplinary process carried out at the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) the practice of very serious acts by Miguel Afonso was proven, “confirmed by the TAD in its decision to overturn the decision of the FPF Disciplinary Council to Confirm”.
For the SJPF, since they are crimes “against freedom and sexual self-determination,” the SJPF believes that “this disciplinary offense cannot be covered by amnesty.”
“The statement supported by the TAD that there would only be a criminal case or even a conviction if there were an exception is complete nonsense. “It is clearly sufficient that the court can, in the abstract, qualify the facts in those types of crimes, which the TAD was able to carry out without any kind of difficulty,” he said.
For the SJPF, the lightness with which the TAD allows the practice of absolutely unacceptable acts in the sports world to go unpunished is therefore horrifying.
“It remains for the Union, in addition to expressing its strongest rejection of the decision in question, to call on the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) to appeal and not to agree to the money laundering that this entails . Finally, we would like to send a message of confidence to the players who are victims of harassment, guaranteeing that we will stand by their side and do everything we can to eradicate these practices from football,” concludes the players’ union.
On July 11, the TAD upheld the 35-month suspension of Miguel Afonso, former coach of the Famalicão women’s team, by the Disciplinary Board (CD) of the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF), for sexual harassment and discrimination.
Miguel Afonso was punished by the FPF CD on November 3 with a suspension of 35 months and a fine of 5,100 euros for “committing five very serious disciplinary violations”, resulting from “discriminatory behavior based on gender and/or sexual orientation” . , 2022.
The 41-year-old coach disputed the punishment with TAD, which on Monday, according to the ruling to which Lusa had access, upheld the punishment, the actions of which date back to the beginning of the 2020/21 season, when he was coaching. the Rio Ave women’s team.
Miguel Afonso was the target of complaints from Rio Ave players in 2020/21, reported in the Público newspaper, giving way to others about the former coach of Bonitos de Amorim (2019/20) and Ovarense (2021/22), and , later Famalicão, who suspended him.
Source: DN
