Midfielder joins Moreirense on loan

Sporting Clube de Portugal – Futebol, SAD has reached an agreement with Moreirense Futebol Clube – Futebol, SAD for the loan of the player Francisco Geraldes for the 2016/17 season, with no option for a permanent transfer.

Sporting SAD wishes Francisco Geraldes the best of personal and professional success.

Sporting Clube de Portugal statement on articles published today

In light of articles published today in Portugal and Argentina about alleged interest from Boca Juniors in the player Jonathan Silva, Sporting Clube de Portugal notes the following:

1.       Boca Juniors have never shown interest in the purchase of Jonathan Silva;

2.       These articles are part of a strategy to weaken Sporting Clube de Portugal's position during the current transfer market, like other false new pieces published in Portugal and abroad about bids which never existed, for example from PSG for João Mário and from Leicester for Slimani;

3.       Sporting Clube de Portugal is today economically and financially stable, which permits the building of a short, medium and long term sports project. We are not in sales;

4.       Sporting Clube de Portugal is not in the business of selling its treasures, but does not turn away irrefutable bids. In this sense - and should such a bid exist for a player from the senior squad, Sporting Clube de Portugal will analyse it should it be in the interests of the Club;

5.       Sporting Clube de Portugal reaffirms that we have an ambitious sports project which is resulting in an economically and financially stable situation and which permits us to fight for all national titles, as well as European competitions we are involved in.

Rúben Semedo

Sporting Clube de Portugal, Futebol SAD has reached an agreement with the athlete Rúben Semedo for the renewal of his contract until 2022, with a buy-out clause of 45,000,000.00€. Sporting SAD has also recovered the 10% of the player's economic rights which were not under the Club's control.

Sporting SAD wishes Rúben Semedo the best of professional and personal success.

Sporting Clube de Portugal statement regarding legal dispute with Petrogal

Sporting Clube de Portugal informs that an agreement has been reached with Petrogal in relation to a legal dispute involving the cessation of use of a petrol station, which, if not resolved, would have led to an expenditure for the Club for the amount of 5 250 000€.

In line with its legal obligations, Sporting Clube de Portugal, Futebol, SAD has communicated its results to the Market Securities Commission for the final period of 2015, with a negative result of 18 million euros.

In order to avoid speculations based on a lack of information in relation to the results which have been presented, we note that the results are conditioned by two factors: 1. an unfavorable ruling in the case Doyen vs SCP; 2. elimination from the Champions League in the play-off round in circumstances which have previously been commented on.

We note that the impact of the ruling in the Doyen case is, at this time, provisionary, as the period for appeal is on-going. We would also like to highlight the influence of revenue generated by the team's excellent performance in Liga NOS, as well as the new commercial contracts negotiated by this administration, towards returning to a positive result during the next phase of reporting.

Sporting Clube de Portugal statement regarding Islam Slimani

Bearing in mind that Islam Slimani could not be punished in the case that the complaint presented by SLB be accepted and with regards to the public statements made by the president of SLB, Sporting Clube de Portugal notes the follows:

1 - With the Justice Council (Conselho de Justiça) being the competent body in relation to issues emerging from the application of disciplinary procedures directly related to competitive sport, articles 293 and 295 n.º 2 a) of the League's Disciplinary Code and 248 n.º 7 of the Portuguese Football Federation's (PFF) Disciple Code apply, wherein the effect of suspension in this type of case (disciplinary decision to suspend a player for a serious infringement) are detailed. The Justice Council's regulations also state that appeals are "without prejudice to the terms of the disciplinary regulations" (art. 36).

2 - It is further noted, under the terms of art. 274 n.º 3 of the League's Disciplinary Code and 245 of the PFF's disciplinary Code, that disciplinary decisions allow for appeal that suspends such a sanction - as will be the case. To this end, the respective sanction will not be applied during the time in which the accused has the right to launch an appeal. This means that even if Sporting were to be notified of such a sanction on the eve of the match, the club would not be required to immediately appeal: the sanction is suspended for the time in which the accused has to appeal (being five days).

In summary:
- competency lies with the Justice Council
- appeal suspends the effects of the sanction
- the decision to apply a sanction is not applicable until after the period in which the accused can appeal
- Should the PFF Disciplinary Council, hypothetically, apply a sanction to Islam Slimani this week, this sanction would in no way affect the match against SLB.
 

FIFA elections

It is with great pleasure that I congratulate Gianni Infantino for his election as the President of FIFA.

The new President's success will be shared by everybody who is working to recover the good name and credibility of football.

The new FIFA President was, in his previous roles, a voice for us to the sport's governing bodies who wanted to listen to Sporting Clube de Portugal's proposals. His willingness to take on board new ideas was obvious, along with his drive to contribute to the modernisation, credibility and dignity o football, particularly in the regulation of agent and the introduction of video referees.

Statement regarding compulsory convertible debentures (CCD)

Sporting Clube de Portugal announces, as part of the financial restructuring being undertaken by the current board of directors, Millennium BCP and Novo Banco have extended the redemption date of the CCDs purchased on 2010 (which would have been converted into shared in January 2016) until December 2026.

Valentín Viola

Sporting Clube de Portugal - Futebol, SAD has reached an agreement with Apollon Limassol for the transfer of the athlete Valentín Viola, with Sporting, SAD maintaining a 25% sell-on clause.

Sporting Clube de Portugal - Futebol, SAD wishes Viola the best of personal and professional success.

Following successive efforts to manipulate public opinion (by Rui Gomes da Silva, Pedro Guerra, José Eduardo Moniz and the president Luís Filipe Vieira) regarding an nonexistent write off of debt, those same individuals and others, namely António Figueiredo and Jaime Antunes, with the goal of making new insinuations about debt write offs, the non-payment of interest or low interest rates.

On that subject, we would like to again make the following clear:

1 - There has been no write off. All that has happened is a difficult, complex, prolonged and detailed negotiation for a financial restructuring where Sporting Clube de Portugal has already cleared more debt than was expected.

2º - As is openly known, the financial restructuring has a deadline of 2026, which means that various acts have been agreed with the banks and approved by the club's Members in a General Assembly, namely regarding an increase in capital, the extension of Compulsory Convertable Debentures (CCD) and the emission of CCD's and subordinated debenture loans.

This attack from individuals connected to Benfica, firstly with regards to television contracts/shirt sponsorship/club channel exclusivity, and now with regards to the mentioned financial restructuring, is clear proof of Benfica's chronic incapacity to make good business deals or agreements.

Benfica fans should not be so worried or alarmed with what Sporting Clube de Portugal is doing right, but rather with their club's incapacity and constant complaining.