“I found out on Monday that there would be a complaint because I received a call from the Público newspaper to comment on an anonymous complaint. I said no, because I don’t comment on anonymous posts. It’s all. From there I learned that there would be a complaint about the accumulation of the post of President of the Judo Federation (FPJ) and the Judo Club de Coimbra. But it doesn’t bother me, nor does it bother me because it’s a lie,” began with the response of A BOLA, leader of the FPJ Jorge Fernandes, regarding the news published by the aforementioned daily newspaper that there was a complaint that he would retain both positions from then since being elected to the governing body of sports in Portugal in 2017, and that if this happens, it will lead to the immediate loss of the mandate.

5 years, 8 months and 2 days later

“I am not a club president because my mandate has been suspended and my only regret is that it took Mr. Abel Louro, who filed a complaint with the Secretary of State for Youth and Sports, the IPDJ and the Olympic Committee, five years, eight months and two days to understand that he was the president of JC Coimbra. But I don’t understand where he got that from,” he says. “Someone who, in addition to being the president of the Association of Castelo Branco, is also the husband of a female breeder. [Ana Hormigo, que apoia os sete judocas internacionais signatários da carta da passada semana contra o presidente], coach of Benfica and the judo school of Ana Hormigo, lived with me for more than five years. He even worked for half a year in the federation, and when he got there, he arbitrarily asked for a coach. Lately he has been bothering me here because he wanted to return to FPJ and a salary of 2500 euros, because he thought he had more competence and training than the coaches that the federation has. This is a case of the question: is the nipple dry? I dont know? It’s strange that I only now found out about this, because I just said that I alone organized two dinners in support of my candidacy … the rest is difficult to decipher … ”, he goes on the air without specifying.

But how can you be sure that he is a whistleblower? “Because it is written everywhere that the complaint was filed by the chairman of Ass. from Castelo Branco, Abel Louro. But I don’t know until none of these structures officially contacted me about this,” he says. “I have a clear conscience. I don’t have a problem, but I’m waiting for someone to talk to me about it,” he adds.

“However, on Tuesday evening, I contacted the President of the Olympic Committee. [José Manuel Constantino] to see if I know anything since I got a call from Publico. He said that yes, there was a complaint, but everything was fine on his part and there were no problems,” says Fernandes.

And was there a moment when you were the president of FPJ and JC Coimbra at the same time? “No, there never was. Since I took over the FPJ, I have taken the presidency with great honor and enjoy it, I would say, 24 hours a day. I don’t have time to think about anything other than achieving what I said earlier and what I pledged to all judokas and the Portuguese: to make judo more reputable, to hold important events in Portugal and to achieve better results. And we have achieved this, and this is the greatest joy that it gives me, and I never get tired of it. Since I have been here, I have never rested,” he proudly declares.

So, when did you leave other positions? “When I submitted my candidacy, I had to hand over documents on the suspension of the powers of the entities that I led: ass. Coimbra, ass. judo judges and JC Coimbra. When I won the election on January 14, 2017, to take office on the 22nd, I again submitted a suspension of mandates. However, in the case of the first two elections were held. The JC Coimbra has not yet had an election, but it says in front of the name: mandate suspended. I never had anything to do with the club or the associations again. The name will come out of the governing bodies of the club, being suspended when there are elections…”, he declares.

And isn’t it strange that since 2017 there have been no elections to the governing bodies of JC Coimbra? “Maybe it’s strange, I think so too, but this hasn’t happened before,” admits Fernandes, the founder of the club, who is also condemned by Luru, who in 2021 signed program contracts with the Chamber of Coimbra in the amount of 33 thousand euros as a representative of the JC Coimbra. “I agree that it is strange, but the club works with the people who were there. When they understand that there are elections and find people for this, then there will be elections. But on the part of the Directorate, I never had anything to do with this again, ”he assures again.

Our newspaper contacted Abel Louro, who confirmed that he was the originator of the three-organization infringement submission against Jorge Fernandes for accumulating positions, signing program contracts with the Chamber on behalf of JC Coimbra, and nepotism for hiring his son on the FPJ technical team. However, Abel refused to speak.