A tug of war that continues, at least until Tuesday. On the one hand, the seven judokas who signed the open letter against the Judo Federation, now with the supportive public of Benfica, a club of five of the seven signatories. On the other hand, Jorge Fernandes, president of the Judo Federation, who has responded to the accusations against him in the letter, also defending the current system in terms of preparation and presence in international competitions. There, on the 16th, there may or may not be a truce, with a meeting promoted by the Secretary of State for Youth and Sports, João Paulo Correia, who will try to put an end to the existing open conflict. Nevertheless, even attendance at this meeting is open.

“I didn’t speak to the athletes and I won’t, that will have to be someone who takes care of them naturally. I tried to meet with the Secretary of State and the President of the Olympic Committee to solve this problem, of course we are interested in solving it, but from our side we athletes just have to comply with the rules, train and compete. From our side there is nothing, we will only maintain compliance with the standards that have always served up to now”, began by referring Jorge Fernandes to Rádio Observador.

“The meeting is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon. We have always been in contact with the government and the Olympic Committee, they are people who are also concerned about that. The meeting was initially also with the athletes but I refuse to meet with the athletes, I don’t want to meet with the athletes at the moment. I see no interest in it, they have to comply and they have to retract the lies they published in public terms”, added the president of the Judo Federation.

At the same time, Jorge Fernandes also admits having gone to court against the signatories of the open letter issued last Thursday, also raising the possibility of internal sanctions. “Initially I said that there would be no such possibility to go to court, but in the meantime there has been progress and now there is such a possibility. I won’t say I will. Not willingly, but I’m not the only one in charge, nor do I decide alone. The possibility of disciplinary proceedings and taking the athletes to court is on the table. not only because of some statements in the letter but also because they were recording a meeting they had with me without authorization”, explained the federative leader in this regard.

“Benfica’s fault is to support and promote national sport in the competitive part”

In the other side, Anna Oliveira, coordinator of the Benfica Olympic project, came to express his solidarity with the signatories of the letter in the midst of several criticisms of Jorge Fernandes, highlighting that the Reds are not to blame but rather part of the solution for high-competition sport and even revealing that, in On the eve of the letter athletes, the Federation leader himself contacted the Clube da Luz to ask for help.

“In fact, the statements hardly deserve comment… The way the president is reacting to this is troubling. A president cannot say that everything is crazy, he cannot. And I say: it is not but it is almost. It takes an act of courage to do this, we are talking about 70% of the Olympic elite. There are two more elements of Sporting who have not signed, and I could try to understand why, and the other is from the president’s club and apparently even with family relations…”, he said in statements to BTV, also recalling the emotional exhaustion that some athletes experienced after the Tokyo Games.

“The president has already been told that he was the best in the world. Yes, he managed to create something that we have tried in other federations, which was a bubble during the Covid period and the results were not better at the Games for other reasons. He wanted to continue but He did not have the sensitivity to understand that there is no possibility of going to Coimbra 52 times a year. ‘I’m in charge’. But send what? Not part of a team? Then, the question of saying that others could manage their money because there was less work… The presidents of the federations are chosen precisely to have a job, to manage what is public money”, continued the coordinator of the Olympic project of the reds.

“Athletes cannot evolve, I know they need to compete. That is why an activity plan is made. Who manages it has to be the athlete and the coach, seeing with the coaches of the Federation. They have to compete against taller, shorter, right-handers, left-handers. Telma cannot train with Jorge Fonseca, Bárbara cannot train with Anri… Going to Coimbra is also saturating. Yes, it’s also Benfica’s fault, we pay for vans, diesel… Let’s forget about the ideal conditions, there is one that is above all that is the international experience and the evolution in training”, highlighted.

“Athletes have to train more, as he says? We have already contributed 25 medals to the Judo Federation, this is not for those who do not work. Of these seven athletes who signed the letter, five have the support of Benfica. They will always use the usual ‘It’s Benfica’s fault’. That is, the day before he had called me asking for help and the possibility of having a meeting was left up in the air. Benfica’s fault is to support and promote national sport in the competitive part. We are part of the solution for Olympic sport, it is worrying to hear a president say that the fault lies with the clubs, in this case Benfica. Dialogue, understanding and competence are needed, which implies sensitivity”, concluded Ana Oliveira.