Liga Portugal president will seek re-election as statutes review opens

Re-election bid

Reinaldo Teixeira, who has led the Liga since April 2025, said on Tuesday, 10 November 2026 that he intends to stand for a new mandate when elections are held. He said the current term completes the mandate of his predecessor, a point he made last year and repeated at the summit. Responding to SC Braga president António Salvador, who asked him to call early elections, Teixeira said he keeps his commitments and wants a full new term. The election is currently due at the end of the season, and he gave no sign of changing that calendar.

“When there are elections, I am a person who keeps commitments. Today my mind is set on running for a new term, and that was reiterated today.”

Statutes and summit seats

The current statutes were approved roughly 10 to 15 years ago, and Teixeira said a review process is now starting, with a working group set up to prepare it. Beyond article 47 on the composition of the board, he said other matters will be reviewed as well. Salvador argued that the permanent board seats held by FC Porto, Sporting and Benfica, along with their role in choosing the other two first-division representatives, weaken the body's independence, and he proposed an open election for the board. He also asked that a new governance structure be in place before 2028, the year the centralisation of TV rights begins.

“We are going to start a review process. The last ones were approved about 10 or 15 years ago.”

Teixeira said that even before any statute change, the next summit will define who may take part: the main shareholder, the president and, in the president's absence, the CEO or whoever represents the sports company. He said all clubs were present, some by video conference because of the bad weather, and that only Vizela was missing.

Stadiums, training and attendance

Teixeira said the Liga aims to approve by June 2027 a new model setting minimum requirements for stadiums and training facilities, with an adaptation period to follow. The model would cover match venues and team preparation spaces in both professional competitions. He acknowledged that modernisation will require significant investment and said the Liga is studying financing options, including for municipalities that own many of the stadiums. He added that investors have expressed interest in funding the infrastructure. Attendance is climbing: more than 4.5 million spectators attended stadiums last season, and the first part of this season shows continued growth.

The Liga and the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) are also assessing additional VAR equipment and goal-line technology, which would require stadium adaptations. Budgets for the equipment and the infrastructure needed to install it are being reviewed, and Teixeira said each stadium will need its own assessment of cost and financing.

Refereeing dispute

Refereeing was one of the topics raised by clubs at the summit, which Teixeira said they opened and closed with the subject. The clubs asked for more professionalism, transparency and calm in the sector, and he said their tone was constructive. He stressed that no one argued that any club had been favoured or harmed. He noted that the refereeing body is autonomous and integrated into the FPF, while the Liga and the clubs are paying clients expecting quality. The controversy in question involves Luciano Gonçalves, president of the Referee Council, and Duarte Gomes, former national refereeing technical director at the FPF.

“It is important that all the noise created around refereeing is clarified quickly. If someone broke the rules, they must be held accountable.”

Teixeira said the Liga has been in contact with the FPF and has offered in writing to help resolve the problems.