The Professional Footballers’ Union (SJPF) has called the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s (TAD) decision to overturn the suspension of coach Miguel Afonso, accused of sexual harassment, “chilling”.
The TAD has decided to lift the suspension of Miguel Afonso, accused of sexually assaulting players he coached in Rio Ave, based on an amnesty decree adopted in connection with Pope Francis’ visit to Portugal.
“SJPF was surprised by this decision and was astounded by the thoughtlessness and insensitivity shown by TAD. This is a legally incorrect decision, the rationale for which is completely unacceptable,” the statement said.
The organization led by Joaquim Evangelista recalls that during the disciplinary process carried out by the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF), a pattern of very serious actions was proven by Miguel Afonso, “confirmed by the TAD in its decision to confirm the decision of the FPF Disciplinary Commission.” Advice”.
As for the SJPF, since these are crimes “against freedom and sexual self-determination,” the SJPF believes that “this disciplinary offense cannot be covered by amnesty.”
“The thesis espoused by the TAD that for an exception to take place there must be a criminal case or even a conviction is pure nonsense. Obviously, it is enough that, in the abstract, the court can classify the facts into the type of crimes that the TOP was able to cope with without any difficulties,” he said.
Thus, for the SJPF, “the ease with which TAD allows the practice of absolutely intolerable acts in the world of sport to go unpunished is appalling.”
“The Union remains, in addition to emphatically rejecting the decision in question, to ask the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) to appeal it and not accept the whitewashing it entails. Finally, we want to issue a message of confidence to players who have been victims of harassment, ensuring that we will stand by their side and do everything to eradicate this practice from football,” the players’ union concluded.
On July 11, TAD confirmed the 35-month ban of Miguel Afonso, former coach of the Famalican women’s team, by the Disciplinary Board (CD) of the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) for sexual harassment and discrimination.
On November 3, Miguel Afonso was punished with a 35-month ban and a fine of €5,100 by the FPF for “committing five very serious disciplinary offenses” resulting from “discriminatory behavior on the grounds of gender and/or sexual orientation.” , 2022.
The 41-year-old coach challenged the sentence before the TAD, which on Monday, in a ruling accessed by Lusa, upheld the punishment, which dates back to the start of the 2020/21 season when he coached the Rio Avenue women’s team.
Miguel Afonso was the subject of complaints from Rio Ave players during the 2020/21 season, as reported by the newspaper Público, which gave way to other complaints against former coach Bonitos de Amorim (2019/20) and Ovarense (2021/22), and, later, Famalican. who dismissed him.