Leiria overturn decision to abandon league
Reuters - Friday 04 May 2012, 20:39
Uniao Leiria have overturned the
decision to quit the Portuguese Premier League they made earlier
on Friday after mass resignations caused by delayed wages left
them with only eight players for last weekend's match.
"The board met for two and a half hours, we thought
thoroughly about the situation and opted to stay in the
competition so as not to be accused of interfering with the
integrity of the game," said club president Joao Bartolomeu.
"Leiria will be present at the Estadio da Luz to play Benfica. We will count on youth-team players for the next few
matches. We have 14 or 15 players available," he told Portuguese
television.
The bottom club are five points from safety with two matches
left this season. They lost 4-0 to Feirense last weekend but
Bartolomeu hailed the bravery of the eight players who took the
field.
"This situation made Leiria's relegation irreversible and it
will force the club to withdraw from the Premier League, with
all its subsequent consequences," said Leiria in an earlier
statement on Friday.
Although Porto have already won the title, Leiria's pullout
would have triggered changes in the table and affected the
battle for European spots if they had their results this season
revoked.
Under that scenario, third-placed Braga's lead over Sporting
in fourth spot would have doubled to six points and also lifted
them within a point of Benfica.
RESIGNATION LETTERS
Last weekend the players' union said 16 Leiria squad members
had submitted resignation letters after going several months
without pay.
The club said on Friday that only 13 had sent letters.
"The unjustified absence from practice sessions and from the
match against Feirense was a violation of the players' duties,"
said Leiria before adding they had seriously damaged the club's
reputation and finances.
"We have the right to demand compensation for all the damage
resulting from this situation."
National football federation (FPF) chief Fernando Gomes said
Leiria's proposed pullout would have been "a very bad moment for
Portuguese football".
"The salary delay, financial difficulties and the bad image
Portuguese football has projected is not at all desirable,"
Gomes explained.
"What I regret the most is the footballers, their families,
the coaches and the club's staff are involved," Gomes said
before adding the FPF would do everything to resolve the
problem.
Portugal's Professional Football League (LPFP) also said it
was studying ways to avoid a repetition and added the country's
debt crisis was having a profound impact on the game.