The direction of Portimonense expressed today in a statement its «greatest repudiation for the indifference with which some leaders with feet of clay, with little time to think about others who, giving a lot, without receiving anything, dedicated part of their lives to society and the sports associations'.
This is the reaction of Portimonense to the refusal, by the Portuguese Football Federation, that the club could keep a minute of silence in the game that today pits them against Sporting de Braga B, in memory of its chairman of the General Assembly, O doctor António Mergulhão, who died last Wednesday.
Portimonense considers this refusal as "at least absurd" and recalls that, "if it is true that the Portuguese Professional Football League readily consented to a minute of silence, the Portuguese Football Federation rejected Portimonense's claim so that such homage could be carried out as a visitor (remember that the club does not play games as visited, in championships organized by the federation), shielding itself, as far as is known, in the interpretation of its regulations».
The Portimão club stresses that this "unqualified refusal" was taken "even contrary to the position of its president Dr. Fernando Gomes, who promptly sent a letter expressing his regret" and emphasizes that António Mergulhão was "partner, sympathizer and leader" of Portimonense and therefore «by the spirit of the statutes, its main figure».
Portimonense also highlights "so that it can serve for future memory, the text written by the Board of the Football Association of the Algarve, whom we publicly praise for its directness, in its assertive response to its "mother house", on this matter".
In its letter, the AFA begins by stressing that it asked “the Portuguese Football Federation, as soon as the disastrous event of the death of the chairman of the General Assembly of Portimonense, Dr. António Mergulhão, was known to fulfill a one-minute silence in memory of that prestigious leader, with nearly two decades of service to the Algarve and national football, with a response that left us deeply displeased».
The AFA continues to state that «Portimonense Sporting Clube is a collective with almost 100 years of history (celebrates its centenary in 2014) and a worthy path in national sport and in particular in football, ranking itself as one of the best 15 clubs in the professional football in the country, adding the participations in the 1st Division and in the Honor League; it was the first club in the Algarve to guarantee its presence in a European competition (UEFA Cup, 1985/86) which, from this region, gave more players (nine) to the National Team A, in addition to dozens of footballers to other National Teams; Portimão Stadium hosted two games for the A team and dozens of games for other national teams».
On the other hand, «Dr. António Mergulhão, a manager of enormous prestige and respected figure also for his professional and civic performance, was the ultimate figure of Portimonense Sporting Clube and his death caused profound grief not only within the club and the city. in which he lived but also throughout the Algarve and throughout the country, taking into account the manifestations that came to the club and to the Algarve Football Association itself».
Therefore, underlines the AFA, "in view of the above reasons, it seems to us to be entirely inadequate and without plausible justification, in the light of "a uniform criterion, deliberating case by case", the indication that a minute of silence will be respected only in Official games that Portimonense will play this weekend as a visitor, knowing that, in the scope of FPF competitions, Portimonense has no game scheduled for the next few days in this condition… As a visitor, there will be no place to that minute of silence, but only to the use of black smoke on the sweater».
"If the FPF "deliberates on a case-by-case basis, according to uniform criteria, depending on the information received about the contribution to district or national football", it will be of all use - and just to mention an example of how inappropriate and lacking the justification given seems to us to be of fundamental importance – we receive an indication of the reasons that led to the observance of a minute of silence in all games under the responsibility of the FPF precisely a year ago, following the regrettable incidents recorded in Port Said, Egypt». continues the direction of the Football Association of the Algarve.
«Is it possible that, for the Portuguese Football Federation, the death of several Egyptians – in an event, we repeat again, completely regrettable – on a football field but with motivations that have nothing to do with sport (and following other slaughters registered in that country for some years now, due to political and social instability), is it more important than the disappearance of the first figure of one of the main clubs in Portugal? If the death of the president of the General Assembly of one of the fifteen largest collectives in national football does not justify at least one minute of silence in all of that club's games, what will justify it?” asks the AFA.
For all this, the AFA board, in its letter addressed to the Portuguese Football Federation, expresses its «profound displeasure, and enormous surprise, at the content of the email received regarding the AFA's request, which is far from corresponding to the understanding of the relevance and the role played by Dr. António Mergulhão as a sports manager».
The AFA ends by asking "as a matter of urgency, given the proximity of the sporting weekend, that the indication sent by the FPF be changed to one that includes the memory, with the necessary dignity, of what it represented for Portimonense Sporting Clube and for Algarvian and national football the remarkable leader who has now left us».
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