“I think there is no better way to do things than bring together those people responsible around a common denominator, which is to eradicate violence,” Secretary of State, João Paulo Rebelo, told Lusa News Agency on Monday.
On 10 April, a few days after a referee was attacked by a football player in an Elite division game, Rebelo brought together representatives of the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF), the League of Clubs, the players’ union, the referees’ and managers’ associations, asking them to make suggestions to eradicate violence in the sport.
Rebelo said that measures against violence were “quickly emerging” and gave the example of the FPF introducing a video-referee system in all League I games next season.
He also noted that a decision had been made to police all games that are identified as needing such policing by district and referees’ associations.
Without playing down “the attacks and unpleasant episodes,” Rebelo denied the idea that violence is generalised,” noting that “often the media repeats lots of news around the same issue.”
The secretary of state said he was shocked about, “the violent episodes in the youth leagues, which are carried out by parents,” and said: “Violence is stupid and true sports fans are not fans of violence.”
In April, there were several violent episodes in the football world, the most serious of which was a Sporting fan being run over deliberately, following clashes between fan clubs near Luz Stadium ahead of a Sporting-Benfica derby.