The president of the Portuguese Professional Football League, Pedro Proença, criticized this Sunday the situation experienced on Saturday in Famalicão, when a child was forced to take off his Benfica shirt, a gesture also censored by the sports official.
“If we want football to be a family celebration, we have to reflect on what it means for a child to be forced to take off his shield shirt for the simple fact of being on a bench where the majority of fans support another club. . the football we want”, protested Pedro Proença, on social media.
In the match of the sixth day of the I League, played on Saturday, in Vila Nova de Famalicão, a boy was forced to take off his Benfica shirt on a bench with a clear majority of local fans, a gesture disapproved by the entity’s leader which organizes the professional championships.
Pedro Proença recalls that the incident occurred in the week in which the captains of the professional teams signed the Charter for Integrity, also highlighting the “magnificent” gesture of the Santa Clara player who stopped the game, in an advantageous position, after hitting a rival against Vitória de Guimarães, as well as the “beautiful” action of FC Porto in tribute to the octogenarian fan.
The Secretary of State for Youth and Sports, João Paulo Correia, says that what happened requires “the greatest protest”, for which he understands that “the entities involved have to clarify what happened.”
“This child was the victim of relentless intolerance in a football stadium by representatives of the game’s promoter. He was also subjected to the indignity of being half-naked in order to continue watching the game, ”he justified.
On its official website, Benfica also regretted what happened, in a statement.
“Sport Lisboa e Benfica regrets that in a football that wants to be increasingly inclusive, capable of bringing more and more families to matches, fans who wear the Benfica jersey, including children, have been forced to remove their clothes to watch the match .”, Benfica wrote, finishing off: “We want a different type of football and we all have to contribute to that”.
Sport Lisboa e Benfica regrets that in a football that wants to be more and more inclusive, capable of bringing more and more families to matches, fans who wear the Benfica shirt, including children, have been forced to undress it in order to watch the Famalicão match. Benfica. pic.twitter.com/xnXbFB5yBW
– SL Benfica (@SLBenfica) September 10, 2022
The match of the sixth day of the League was won by Benfica, 1-0, with a goal by Rafa, which allowed the ‘incarnates’ to continue leading the championship alone, with a total of 18 points.
Source: TSF
