FPF disciplinary regulation change protects journalists and other stakeholders

The disciplinary rules of the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) will differentiate the characteristics of sports agents, creating a category to protect those involved in sports competitions, including journalists and other elements, a source at the organization told Lusa this Friday.

This change will distinguish these agents external to the game from direct players, avoiding situations like the one that happened this season with a SportTV journalist, against whom the FPF Disciplinary Board (CD) even opened a disciplinary process.

This process took place at the end of August, after a journalist asked the Lions coach Ruben Amorim “out of context game just ended”, thereby not complying with article 91.º of the Regulations of the competitions organized by the Portuguese Professional Football League (LPFP).

CD FPF ultimately shelved the process and disregarded article 91 of the LPFP testing rules as unconstitutional and contrary to freedom of the press, despite explaining that the opening of the process was “mandatory”, taking into account a legal obligation when “substantiality is reported that can be qualified, in the abstract as a disciplinary offence.

Now the FPF has moved forward with the “separation of water” in the characterization of various sports agents.

“Under the proposed amendment, public security agents, emergency and medical service porters, firefighters, civil protection officials, reporters and field photographers (…) are considered sports agents for the purposes of this rule only to the extent that such qualifications give protection to them, but not to the extent that it imposes obligations on them, ”explained a source in the FPF.

The change has already been approved at a management meeting to go into effect next season and is currently in public consultation.