According to "A Bola," the Portuguese professional football league's regulations have been criticized as undemocratic and confusing. The author argues that governance rules should be reformed first, followed by elections to select a new president in 10 months. Electing someone first and then reforming the system is the wrong approach.

The Portuguese professional football league's regulations are neither democratic nor clear. A powerful institution should not operate this way.

With 10 months remaining until the election for a four-year presidential term, electing a person first and then changing the rules is like building a house upside down.

Before re-electing Reinaldo Teixeira (who will lead until 2031) or choosing another president, sports companies must first decide what kind of league they want.

The priority should be to define a new governance model, pass necessary bylaws amendments, and then hold elections.

If elections are held first and reforms follow, it means giving the winner the power to set the rules and decide how they will exercise that power.

Reforms that initially seemed urgent often become inconvenient after electoral victory and are frequently forgotten.

In the 18th century, Montesquieu explained that for freedom to exist, power must not be concentrated in the same hands.

The executive should not control the rules; representatives of stakeholders should not manage solely for themselves; and overseers must be independent from those they oversee.

Separation of powers does not eliminate conflict but rather organizes and limits it to prevent expansion into domination.

The Portuguese professional football league is not a state, and its regulations are not a constitution, but this principle still applies. In the current governance model, the same sports companies compete, accept decisions, and participate in the bodies that make those decisions. Management, representation, and oversight are all mixed together.

The Portuguese professional football league's governance directly contradicts Montesquieu's teachings.

Three reforms are absolutely necessary.

The first concerns Article 45, Section 2: the league president must be "the candidate with the most votes."

With a limited number of voters, a fragmented election could result in a president elected with support from fewer than half the sports companies.

A minority president would lack legitimacy to resolve conflicting interests from the start, particularly regarding centralized broadcasting rights. Presidential elections should require an absolute majority through runoff voting.

The second amendment concerns Article 47. The Executive Committee is essentially a council of stakeholder representatives disguised as an executive body: it consists of 10 members including the president, a football association representative, and representatives from eight sports companies.

The three clubs with the highest average ranking over the past four seasons (in practice, Benfica, Porto, and Sporting) hold permanent seats without term limits. They then elect two other committee members. Only clubs invited by the "Big Three" can participate. If no agreement is reached, the decision is made by lottery—and this has already happened.

These three clubs are permanent members, while the other two are not only selected by them but must also rotate. The disparity in sporting performance has been transformed into regulatory privilege and greater influence.

Will Sporting Braga, Guimarães, FC Paços de Ferreira, and other sports companies accept the status quo, or will they seize their last opportunity in the coming five years to change this model?

Acknowledging the stature of the three major clubs does not mean they should be given permanent institutional seats. The league must recognize their importance but should not depend on them.

Club participation in the Executive Committee also creates information asymmetry. Some sports companies can follow internal procedures and participate in decision preparation, while others only receive organized information afterward.

A sports company should not simultaneously be a competing participant, a beneficiary of decisions, and a member of the body that governs the league.

The solution is to establish an independent, single Executive Committee consisting of a president and two directors elected separately by the general assembly. Each person has their own responsibilities and is accountable for their position and results.

Elected directors have the right to object, oversee, and propose alternatives. They are no longer merely subordinates of the president but have their own legitimacy. The Executive Committee should function as a team, not a court.

Currently, the chief executive is elected to the Executive Committee on the president's recommendation. Article 52 stipulates that there is no severance if dismissed before the term ends.

Their professional survival depends entirely on the president's will. Objecting to the president could mean immediate unemployment.

A strong institution cannot be built on borrowed independence.

Excluding clubs from the Executive Committee is not excluding them from decision-making but rather separating management, representation, and oversight.

The regulations should also stipulate that Primeira Liga clubs hold meetings once a month, Liga Portugal 2 clubs do likewise, and documentation should be provided in advance to ensure equal information and positions for all parties.

The Executive Committee handles management, clubs handle follow-up and direction proposals, and the general assembly makes decisions on structural issues.

In this way, the Portuguese professional football league would transition from a model where a few clubs participate in management to one where all clubs participate equally in decision-making.

The third amendment is straightforward. Article 49 establishes a High Council, but despite 11 years passing, it has never actually been constituted. If it is not needed, it should be removed.

Regulations should not become a mere repository of bodies that might be used someday. They must include essential structures, clear responsibilities, and explicit accountability.

Reforms must be completed before the election. What is the point in re-electing Reinaldo Teixeira first and then discussing the reduction of the power he just gained?

In the coming years, the Portuguese professional football league must centralize television broadcasting rights, increase revenue, enhance the value of competition, and regain fan engagement.

A structure designed to manage past balance cannot meet the challenges of 2030.

First, let sports companies choose the league they want. Then, choose the person to lead it.

AI 번역.

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