The Secretary of State for Youth and Sports, João Paulo Correia, repudiates the events that occurred this Saturday during the match between Estoril and FC Porto, in which a man, with a child in his arms, was allegedly insulted in the stands of the António Coimbra stadium da Mota. The episode was recorded on video and, in the images, you can see the moment of tension between the fans and the father with the girl in his arms, both wearing FC Porto shirts, leaving the venue.
“This boy and his father were victims of unacceptable intolerance by a group of fans of the opposing team. These types of incidents cannot happen in our stadiums. Nor can we accept attempts to normalize intolerance in sport,” he wrote. ruling the social networks this Sunday.
João Paulo Correia guarantees that the Authority for the Prevention and Combat of Violence in Sport “will act against the behavior of the fans in question.” “We will continue to fight tirelessly,” he promises.
The Authority for the Prevention and Fight against Violence in Sport will act against the conduct of the fans in question. We will continue to fight tirelessly.
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– João Paulo Correia (@jpcorreia_sejd) September 18, 2022
The president of the Portuguese Professional Football League, Pedro Proença, reacted on social networks by repudiating what happened and calling for a “reflection”.
“At a time of recovery, when we want to bring families back to the sports arena, we have to firmly and firmly reject all acts that constitute attacks against all those who build the spectacle that football should be, contributing to a perception that does not correspond to any of the values that we defend,” he wrote on Facebook.
Pedro Proença adds that “the road may be long”, but “the determination to alert about the real values of sporting and competitive coexistence is unwavering, and we are all summoned for this road”.
“We will have to be uncompromising in defending these values, sure, however, that change begins in each one of us, in the reflection on what sport and citizenship are. This reflection will constitute a substantial part of this journey. demand the means and conditions to do so. The cry of a terrified child, clutching his father’s arms, in a football stadium, should be enough to stop us”, he underlines.
The match between Estoril and FC Porto ended in a 1-1 draw.
This case comes days after it was reported that a boy was forced to take off his Benfica shirt in the match against Famalicão, an episode that also deserved the condemnation of the Secretary of State and Pedro Proença.
Source: TSF
