A Call to Reason
Sir:
First and foremost: Thank you. For returning the pride of millions of sportinguistas in their club. For dedicating your waking moments to this club, in contrast to the “part-time” presidents of recent past. For sticking your neck out to defend the Club in the face of the institutional obstacles of the Portuguese football status quo and their well-documented biases. For calling out the half-truths (and worse) emitted by the tabloidists who dominate Portuguese media. For bringing the Club back from the brink of bankruptcy and overseeing record revenue growth. For awakening the Lion.
I remember the pain of the long night of March 26, 2011, when Godinho Lopes was elected under suspicious circumstances and set on a course for the near-destruction of the Club, while outside the Alvalade assembly you calmed your indignant supporters, in the best interest of the Club. On March 23, 2013, sportinguistas brought an end to the Roquette era with your election, and your embrace of defeated candidate José Couceiro that night was a signal to unify sportinguistas, in the best interest of the Club. Now, five years on, despite the great many victories on and off the playing fields under your leadership, it is time to reflect on whether your presidency remains in the best interest of the Club.
Get Sporting Soul’s stories in your inbox
Join Medium for free to get updates from this writer.
The current crisis stems from a series of poor choices on your part, even if well-intentioned. The public attack on the squad following the 2–0 defeat to Atletico Madrid was cowardly and belied your status as a trusted member of the squad sanctum. It was imprudent — the head of a 111-year-old institution and multimillion-euro enterprise must be able to avoid letting his supporter’s heart overshadow these responsibilities. It was incoherent — from suggesting that team mensch Bas Dost intentionally drew a yellow to miss the return leg, to giving finishing advice to Gelson Martins. The squad’s decision to conduct a social media counterstrike was similarly ill-advised, but you could not summarily suspend the majority of the squad, as you attempted to do in an apparent fit of fury — not if you had any interest in, for example (1) achieving any other accomplishments this season, (2) retaining the Club’s most valuable assets beyond this season, and (3) attracting talented players to the Club in the future. After the unsurprising backlash from this attempted suspension en masse, you doubled down by issuing another social media missive hours before the match against Paços de Ferreira, in which you called into question certain, unnamed players’ loyalty and professionalism. This series of events has rightfully set off a debate among sportinguistas as to your ability to continue to lead the Club, while regrettably giving fodder to your detractors outside the Club.
Much of your success in your 5 years as president can be attributed to your management style, which calls for a unified voice and defense of the Club above any individual interests and provided much needed stability within the Club. To this spectator miles away, however, it appears that your effort to eliminate potentially dissident voices has left you isolated and paranoid. Perhaps it’s the pressure of chasing that elusive league championship trophy, which, despite record spending on players, has failed to return to Alvalade. Or perhaps it’s the realization that, having achieved the coup of bringing Jorge Jesus to Sporting and accommodating his egocentricity, your destinies are tied together, and you no longer can rule with an iron fist. However, it may be that your recent actions are the consequences of simple fatigue. No one could keep up the pace that you have over these five years, being the singular face and voice of Sporting at the stadium/pavilion/pool/track, at the negotiating table, and before the media, without inviting a breakdown.
The recent assembly called in order to vote on Club statutory changes, which you made a referendum on your mandate after you abandoned the initial assembly, seemed like the childhood threat to take your ball home if you could not get your way. Most sportinguistas were willing to overlook this attitude in order to ensure the continuity of a heretofore successful administration, and provided a resounding vote of confidence. The unity among sportinguistas that resulted from that event not yet two months ago has seemingly been dashed.
Another assembly and, likely, election, is imminent. Sportinguistas will once again be asked whether to overlook your personal shortcomings and continue to entrust the Club to your stewardship. Now is the time for you to reflect, to discern, and show your willingness to change, to compromise. With a few simple signs of humility, you can calm these waters before it is too late and the Club is once again thrown into turmoil. From one green-blooded sportinguista to another, I trust that you will do what is in the best interest not just for Bruno Miguel Azevedo Gaspar de Carvalho, but for the Club that we both love.
SL
