In 2015, when I took over the presidency of Liga Portugal, one of the main objectives of the Board that accompanied me was the revitalization of the League Cup. Today, almost eight years later, it is a great pride to see an Allianz Cup established in our calendar, a brand of our Football and a vehicle for promoting our Talent.
Today is the day to congratulate FC Porto, the new 2022/2023 Winter Champion, for winning the 16th edition of the Allianz Cup, yesterday, against Sporting CP, a team that we have to highlight for the fantastic campaign in the competition, and that gave shine to the victory of FC Porto, the new Winter Champion. We cannot fail to highlight the magnificent campaigns of FC Arouca and Académico de Viseu which, with all their merit, reached an unprecedented presence in the Final Four. Watching the fans cheer for both teams in the semi-finals will be something to remember.
Yesterday’s grand final was the last of 63 meetings in a marathon that began in November. The 2022 World Cup put a threat on the horizon, the possibility of having teams without competition for six weeks, in the middle of the season. The decision to reformulate the previous format, with 37 matches, for this season’s model, was a completely won bet, a strategy impossible to achieve without the collaboration of the 34 Sports Societies, which soon responded to our challenge. We ensured that competition, the public did not lose connection with the Clubs and our partner gained additional visibility. We were the only major European league not to stop completely, and the praise received by the coaches showed us that our strategy was right.
Organizing a competition of this size is not possible without the support and collaboration of several agents. Firstly, the Clubs, who have always expressed their desire to consolidate the League Cup in our calendar and take advantage of this competitive space to showcase Talent. The change to the Final Four format has made it more attractive for Clubs, operators and partners. It is with pride that the League Cup is, today, the Allianz Cup, and this connection shows how Football can go hand in hand with sponsors. After editions in Algarve and Braga, Leiria hosted the third edition of the Final Four. The success of the Fan Zone and the various activities for Fans provided a different week in Leiria. I cannot fail to publicly thank the City Council of Leiria and the people of Leiria for their enthusiasm. It is with pride that we will be in Leiria again in 2023/2024 for another Final Four.
I cannot, at this point, fail to highlight the privileged forum that the Final Four makes possible. This week, in addition to the League Board meeting, the Social Dialogue Commission met, with ANTF, APAF and the Union of Players united in the development of Portuguese Football, and constituting a common jury in the awarding of Thinking Football Summit awards. We also organized the third edition of the Associations Forum, which brought Professional and Amateur Football together at the same table, with the commitment of two annual meetings and greater interconnection between the base of football and the top of the pyramid.
The post-2024, with the changes in the UEFA competitions, will bring new challenges to the domestic leagues, with a mandatory reduction in the number of games to lighten the teams’ load, without losing our competitiveness in UEFA. The last Presidents’ Summit validated the reduction of the Allianz Cup format to the Final Four only, a change that will be voted on and regulated from 2024/2025. Our Talent is, today, sought after by other markets and the internationalization of the competition is an opportunity that may not arise so soon. Wherever it is played, the Allianz Cup is now firmly established on our calendar. And it’s been a pleasure to watch its growth. Congratulations to FC Porto, the new Winter Champion!
