In an editorial for Sporting, Frederico Varandas sums up the year and mandate by announcing that elections for 2022-2026 will take place on 5 March.
“Three years ago the situation at Sporting was completely different. We have not been football champions for many years, too many years. We lost major sports assets without any financial compensation. The chances of future success seemed unlikely. The financial stability of the Club was in jeopardy. The demand for a bond loan (to repay the one on which we defaulted) did not correspond to the issue. We were haunted by a crisis of identity and values. We have moved away from our DNA, ”he writes.
“But after a year of reconstruction (2019) and a year of resilience (2020), 2021 has become the Year of the Lion. He brought us the Glory that all sportsmen-athletes wanted and deserved. Three years were built on a strategy that never deviated in the face of noise, threats, or imminent sporting failure in a growing exercise-supported project. Nothing comes from nothing, and victories are not the result of chance. It took time and stability to plan, work and win. It also took a lot of courage to never deviate from our plan, which we have always believed will lead to success. 19 years later, “Sporting” became the champion in football. In three years we have celebrated five football titles, won 41 European titles, the first world title, and in 2021 we completed one of the best seasons in 115 years of the Club’s existence. Confidence in the future. We have achieved financial reliability, ”he analyzes, leaving hopes for the future:
“We’ve done a lot more at a much lower cost. Starting from the back, in an unfavorable environment, with far fewer financial resources than our competitors, we were ahead. This was only made possible on the basis of the rigor, intelligence and competence that we took upon ourselves, and we will have to continue to use it as our primary weapon. We did it our own way. The 40-year gap that separates us from the competition is not yet fully closed. However, today we are full of hope. We walk along our green and white stripe with a clear conscience, our heads held high and proud of the clean registration path we have passed. Let’s learn from the past and solidify the path we walk every day. Patience. Tell us how to protect our Club from those who want to divide us. Success is never permanent, and the task of keeping it closer than far lies with each of us. “
