League rejects new arbitration entity in 2023/24 and questions advantages

In a statement released by the Portuguese Professional Football League (LPFP), the clubs that were part of the aforementioned working group, and met today, “consider that the deadlines defined in the proposal presented by the Arbitration Council for the implementation of the new model are not consistent with the requirement of necessary reflection”.

According to the same document, the creation of this entity “will require a reformulation of the current legal framework and the statutes of the FPF themselves” and, therefore, require more time, remembering that the Legal Regime of Sports Federations establishes the existence of three autonomous sections in the Arbitration Council.

“Among them the Professional Section, which has the necessary skills to apply the principles that support the proposal now presented, and therefore intends to see the advantages of implementing a building external to the FPF clarified, especially as it will require such a profound change legislative”, they add.

The unidentified clubs are still “surprised” by the presentation without prior knowledge to the remaining members of the working group, but remain available to collaborate on a proposal for “a more efficient and effective model for the management of Portuguese arbitration”.

Despite this availability, they recall the conclusions of October 18, at the last Summit of Presidents, which they do not consider adequately defended in the Arbitration Council’s proposal.

On the other hand, the end of the meeting coincided with the clubs leaving the working group, “since the purpose that led to its creation has now been exhausted”, shielding themselves with the promise to continue collaborating, “through the contributions of Turns on”.

On November 2, the Arbitration Council presented the project to create an external entity to manage arbitration in professional competitions, following a challenge from the FPF, in June, and the creation of the working group that unites the CA, the LPFP and the Portuguese Association of Football Referees (APAF).

In the proposal that emerged from the various meetings held, the CA reveals that it was proposed to create an external entity, with its own legal personality, endowed with financial, administrative and technical autonomy, as is the case in England and Germany. The proposal implies the need to change the current legal framework.

According to the proposal, the company will have tripartite management. APAF and the League will be invited to join the administration, indicating one member each. Due to regulatory imperatives from FIFA and UEFA, the Portuguese Football Federation will have greater responsibilities in the governance model.

The management of the company will be the responsibility of a general director, hired, who will be responsible, among other things, for defining the panel of referees and video referees, establishing training and training parameters, making appointments, preparing and submitting financial and administrative management standards to the administration. and make the budget.

The proposal also states that the relationship with the arbitrators will be clear: the arbitrators will be service providers and will receive a fixed monthly fee.

It is also expected that the arbitration company will have a transition phase, during which it will use its own autonomous space in Cidade do Futebol, and it is estimated that, after three seasons, it will be able to subsist with its own revenue.