"We all think that Portuguese football must be listened to seriously and swiftly, or else we may run the risk of stopping the championships if these demands are not heard," said Pereira, who is also chairman of the sports management company of the club Marítimo.

Speaking on Wednesday evening at the end of the fourth summit of chairman of clubs in the Portuguese Professional Football League, in Coimbra, Pereira cited in particular their call for reforms relating to "violence, betting, insurance and the model of governance."

Among proposals already presented to the secretary of state for sports, clubs and their sports management companies want "a new model that can contemplate all aspects of professional football in the context of sports betting,” Pereira said.

On the law on insurance against accidents at work, a proposal has been made for a working group with a view to finding "a solution to reduce the high premiums charged by insurers" on policies for practitioners of sports.

League clubs are also calling for “reflection on the centralisation of television rights”, as well as “collaboration” on the law to prevent violence.

These were among issues discussed at the summit on Wednesday, from which Pereira considered said that the group – in which 26 sports management companies of the 32 set up by Portugal’s 32 football clubs – “emerges stronger”.

But he stressed that the clubs’ concerns must be addressed by the authorities "as soon as possible".