The Union of Journalists (SJ) and the CNID (Association of Sports Journalists) this Monday denied the statements of Benfica coach Roger Schmidt, who on Sunday questioned the journalist about his preferences at the club.
In a note entitled “Freedom of questions has no club”, SJ refutes these claims after the home derby victory over Sporting (2-1) in the 11th round of the 1st Portuguese Football League.
“The coach’s statements are unacceptable in a country where freedom to ask questions must be respected and guaranteed. Roger Schmidt’s position is unacceptable in a country where freedom of the press is a fundamental guarantee,” the text reads.
SJ “regrets that journalists are once again being scapegoated to avoid legitimate problems,” recalling the constitutional foundations of freedom of the press in Article 38 and calling on media management to “actively respond to this kind of attitude.” “
For its part, the CNID management recalls that the question asked at the press conference after the game was “very trivial” in the case of whether the result would have been better than the performance, to which Schmidt responded by “asking whether the journalist was from Sporting or from Porto.
“Roger Schmidt knows from years of experience that journalists come to press conferences to ask questions. In Portugal, Germany, Austria or China,” notes the CNID.
According to the association, the German coach “has taken a regrettable position and must publicly apologize” because “journalists do not serve the clubs, but the public.”
Having inflicted their first defeat on Sporting, Benfica took the lead with the same 28 points as the second-place Lions and three more than Porto.