Frederico Varandas

Frederico Varandas
Varandas in 2024
President of Sporting CP[1]
Incumbent
Assumed office
9 September 2018
Preceded byBruno de Carvalho
Personal details
Born
Frederico Nuno Faro Varandas

(1979-09-19) 19 September 1979 (age 45)
Lisbon, Portugal
OccupationDoctor [2]
Military service
AllegiancePortugal
Branch/servicePortuguese Army
Years of service2005–present
Rank Captain
Battles/warsAfghanistan War
Awards

Frederico Nuno Faro Varandas (born 19 September 1979) is a Portuguese sports executive, medical doctor and former commissioned military captain of the Portuguese Army, who has been the president of Sporting CP since 2018.[3][4][5][6][7][8][9] With a presidency initially marked by contestation, the Varandas tenure would become the third most titled in the club's history, behind João Rocha's and Ribeiro Ferreira's, as well as characterized by a discreet presidential position and the renewal of the Alvalade Stadium. During the club's last election, in 2022, Varandas was elected with 85.8% of the votes.

Early life and career

[edit]

Son of a doctor father and a chemistry and physics teacher mother, and hailing from the Avenida de Roma area in Lisbon, in his childhood, he practised gymnastics and swimming at Sporting Clube de Portugal.[10][11][12] His paternal grandfather, a scientist who was already a long-standing affiliated member, introduced him to sports fandom at the club.[12] Before adulthood, Varandas wanted to be an architect but found he lacked the necessary vocation or talent. He then tried to get admission into the medical school at the end of his secondary education studies but the very high grades needed to enter medical school didn’t allow him to achieve that goal. Following his mother’s advice, he then applied for military medicine and was selected. He studied medicine at the Medical School of the New University of Lisbon from where he graduated in medicine in 2005 as an external medical student since he was a pupil of the Portuguese Military Academy.[13][12] He completed a postgraduate course in sports medicine in 2007. In 2008, as a lieutenant military doctor, he was deployed in Afghanistan with a detachment of Portuguese Commandos which was part of the International Security Assistance Force.[14][15][16][17] Whilst carrying out his military duties in Afghanistan, his group of soldiers was ambushed in a clash which they all survived. This episode marked him deeply.[12]

His career in football had begun in 2007, when he joined the medical staff at Vitória Setúbal;[12] two years later he was promoted to clinical director of the same football team, a position he held until the summer of 2011, when he was invited to become head doctor of the senior men's football team at Sporting Portugal.[16] Varandas was the chief doctor of Sporting Portugal's main men's professional football team until 2018.[18][19] In 2016, after a period of specialised training in accordance with the Portuguese Order of Physicians' (Ordem dos Médicos) guidelines, he had become a medical specialist in the field of sports medicine.[16] During the COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal and the ensuing state of emergency, Varandas, already the incumbent president of Sporting Portugal, was voluntarily commissioned by the Serviço Nacional de Saúde (Portugal's National Health Service) as a doctor.[20][3][12]

President of Sporting CP

[edit]

Sousa Cintra served as acting president of Sporting Clube de Portugal - Futebol, SAD during the mandate of an emergency management committee established after the ousting of Sporting CP's president Bruno de Carvalho from his post on 24 June 2018. After has been appointed acting president on 24 June,[21] Cintra officially stepped down in September 2018 following the club's elections that elected Frederico Varandas as the new president of the multi-sports club.[22]

While Varandas was working in the capacity of president of Sporting CP, a financial restructuring was started by the sports club under his direction in 2019 and included the successful renegotiation of bank debt resorting to debt restructuring and debt relief, as well as the repurchasing of convertible debt belonging to Novobanco and BCP at a discount to par value, which was finalized in 2024.[23][24] This allowed Sporting Clube de Portugal to take ownership of 88 per cent of Sporting Clube de Portugal – Futebol, SAD's stock from 15 February 2024 onwards,[25] instead of the 83.90% it owned until that time.[26]

Since 2019, and after a number of alarming scandals and illicit situations involving supporters' groups and some of its most prominent members (a fact that was also true for supporters' groups of rival clubs),[27][28][29] the board of Sporting CP headed by Frederico Varandas, in a statement expressing disapproval of negative behaviours in the club,[30] established a number of rules regulating organised groups of supporters which would lead to the protocol of the 2022–03 season,[31][32] designed to be renewed on a case-by-case and year-by-year basis: "The protocol regulates the relationship between SCP, SCP SAD and the GOA [Organised Group of Supporters] during the 2022/2023 sporting season, establishing the terms and conditions for granting technical, financial and material support to said GOA. In accordance with what is stipulated in Law 39/2009, the protocol binds the GOA to remain in the Zones with Special Conditions of Access and Permanence of Supporters (ZCEAP)."[33] This yearly protocols were established in accordance with the new legal framework enacted in a draft law of 2022 submitted to the Portuguese Parliament with the aim of "strengthening mechanisms to combat violence in sport".[31]

In men's football, the most popular and profitable sports department of the multi-sport club, on 11 May 2021, Sporting CP secured its 19th Primeira Liga title (23rd title when the old Campeonato de Portugal is taken into account)[34] after a 1–0 home win against Boavista. It was Sporting CP's first title in the Primeira Liga since the 2001–02 season. It was also the first Primeira Liga title since that season not being won by either Benfica or Porto.[35] In an editorial for the official Sporting newspaper at the end of the 2020–2021 sports season, he wrote: "This season we wrote another page of glory in the history of Sporting Clube de Portugal, full of eclecticism, materialised with achievements in all sports," "the long-awaited 23rd title of National Champions is ours. This season, from futsal to basketball, from hockey to athletics, from rugby to table tennis, judo and surfing, our athletes have once again outdone themselves, achieving the club's best season in 115 years."[36]

Also in 2021, Sporting CP, headed by club president Frederico Varandas, announced that it would change the colour of the seats in the multicoloured stands of the Estádio José Alvalade to green (the main colour of the sports club). The colour change was completed in 2022.[37] For the 2022–2026 quadrennium, Frederico Varandas' administration started works of building renovation and modernization of the club's facilities at the José Alvalade Stadium and the Cristiano Ronaldo Academy.[38][39] These included the removal of green and yellow tiles in order to make the stadium an all green and white building, renovation of the presidential stand and the professional team changing rooms, installation of Wi-Fi and technological modernisation of the turnstile ticketing system at the stadium.[40] The facility for Sporting CP Esports team at the club’s stadium was also modernised with the help of the club’s sponsor NOS and was upgraded with state-of-the-art HP Omen and PlayStation 5 machines, among other improvements for both players and visitors.[41][42]

In February 2024, the board of directors of Sporting CP headed by Varandas renewed the protocol with the University of Lisbon, thus continuing the link that had been in place since 2007, and announced an investment of three million euros in the modernisation of the EUL Pole in Lisbon, the home of the club's academy for under-13 football players, athletics and other sports. The improvements included the construction of new football pitches, the remodelling of the synthetic turf, the construction of new stands and nine changing rooms, as well as the use of the EUL swimming pool at specific times for Sporting CP's swimming teams and the remodelling and expansion of the administrative building, thus, in addition to men's and women's football, Sporting CP's swimming and rugby departments would also benefit from the works.[43]

In May 2024, at the reception for the squad at the Lisbon City Hall chaired by Carlos Moedas, after achieving the Primeira Liga title for a second time under his leadership as chairman of Sporting CP, he declared: "It's a paradigm shift, the end of an era in which Sporting won sporadically and at intervals of decades. It's confirmation of a new era where Sporting no longer looks up to see its rivals and is once again prepared to win."[44]

Personal life

[edit]

Frederico Varandas is married to Katarina Larsson, a Sweden-born Portuguese former triathlete who competed for Sporting Clube de Portugal and Portugal in the triathlon, and with whom he has two children born in 2019 and 2023.[45][46][47][48][49] They first met each other at the sports club located in the Alvalade – Lumiar area of Lisbon.[50] They started dating in 2018.[51] Larsson has worked as supply chain manager for the Tetra Pak factory in Carnaxide, in the municipality of Oeiras.[52][53][54]

By invitation of a former guardian who was already of advanced age, he became guardian of Paulinho, a long-standing kit man of Sporting Portugal who has an intellectual disability and whose Varandas described as “a great figure in Sporting, a spectacular human being. A super-intuitive person, sensitive, very, very smart, smarter than most people think. The example of a happy person”.[55][56]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Varandas é médico. E o que fazem os outros presidentes da I Liga?". www.dn.pt (in European Portuguese). 2018-09-13. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  2. ^ "Frederico Varandas: "Obrigação de chegar aos oitavos da Champions? Só se alguém for louco"". SIC Notícias (in Portuguese). 2022-10-15. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  3. ^ a b Roseiro, Bruno. "Frederico Varandas volta a efetivo no Exército durante o estado de emergência (e pode acumular funções com Sporting)". Observador (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  4. ^ Portugal, Rádio e Televisão de (2022-11-16). "Frederico Varandas em entrevista exclusiva à RTP" (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  5. ^ SAPO. "Frederico Varandas é 'formalmente' o novo presidente da SAD do Sporting". SAPO Desporto (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  6. ^ "Frederico Varandas is the new president of Sporting". Jornal de Notícias (in Portuguese). 9 September 2018.
  7. ^ Lusa (2022-03-06). "Frederico Varandas reeleito presidente do Sporting com 85,8% dos votos". PÚBLICO (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  8. ^ "Frederico Varandas eleito o 43.º presidente do Sporting". www.jornaldenegocios.pt (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  9. ^ "Frederico Varandas reeleito presidente do Sporting com 85,8% dos votos". TSF Rádio Notícias (in European Portuguese). 2022-03-06. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  10. ^ "A "supermulher" a seu lado, a confissão na campa do avô e o dia que quase lhe custou a vida: os segredos de Frederico Varandas - Nacional - FLASH!". Flash. Retrieved 2024-06-08.
  11. ^ "A vida de luxo de Frederico Varandas com a namorada sueca". www.flash.pt (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-09-26.
  12. ^ a b c d e f "OPTO SIC -". OPTO (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2024-06-10.
  13. ^ "Varandas regressou à Academia Militar: "Após mais de 20 anos..."". www.ojogo.pt (in European Portuguese). 2021-07-05. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  14. ^ "Frederico Varandas, o médico que durante uma emboscada no Afeganistão parou para ouvir um relato do Sporting: "Nunca esquecerei esse dia"". Tribuna Expresso (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  15. ^ "Frederico Varandas recorda missão no Afeganistão: "Portugal jamais poderá esquecer quem partiu"". www.record.pt (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  16. ^ a b c Fernandes, Mariana. "Frederico Varandas: o médico que só faltou a um jogo porque estava no Afeganistão e quer ser presidente do Sporting". Observador (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  17. ^ "Frederico Varandas, o médico militar apaixonado em resgate do Sporting". www.dn.pt (in European Portuguese). 2018-09-09. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  18. ^ Vaza, Marco (2018-09-09). "Do deserto de Kandahar para a chefia do Sporting: Frederico Varandas". PÚBLICO (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  19. ^ "Diretor clínico deixa cargo e admite ser solução para a direcção do Sporting". DNOTICIAS.PT (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  20. ^ "Frederico Varandas vai ajudar como médico durante o estado de emergência". Jornal de Notícias (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  21. ^ "Sousa Cintra assume presidência da SAD do Sporting". Tribuna Expresso (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-11-19.
  22. ^ "Oficial: Sousa Cintra já não é presidente da SAD". www.dn.pt (in European Portuguese). 2018-09-12. Retrieved 2023-11-19.
  23. ^ "Sporting pagou €38 milhões para não ter bancos como acionistas da SAD, gastou mais para extinguir empréstimos e procura agora novo parceiro". Expresso (in Portuguese). 2023-12-28. Retrieved 2024-02-03.
  24. ^ "Sporting prepara-se para fechar capítulo das VMOC e convoca AG para 6 de fevereiro". www.jornaldenegocios.pt (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2024-02-03.
  25. ^ "Sporting passa a ser dono de 88% da SAD a 15 de fevereiro". www.record.pt (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2024-01-15.
  26. ^ ECO (2023-12-27). "Sporting recompra dívida ao Novobanco. Clube passa a controlar 88% da SAD". ECO (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2024-01-04.
  27. ^ "Homicídio, terrorismo, violação e tráfico de droga entre os crimes que ensombram claques". Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2024-02-29.
  28. ^ Roseiro, Bruno. "Claques. Como nasceram, de que forma evoluíram, no que se tornaram (com polémicas e violência pelo meio)". Observador (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2024-02-29.
  29. ^ "Fundador da Juve Leo: "As claques do Sporting não servem o Sporting"". Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2024-02-29.
  30. ^ Dantas, Miguel (2019-10-31). "Sporting oficializa corte com claques junto de autoridade desportiva". PÚBLICO (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2024-02-29.
  31. ^ a b "Apoiar claques ilegais vai dar até três anos de prisão". Jornal de Notícias (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2024-02-29.
  32. ^ "Existem 19 claques legalizadas em Portugal e os Super Dragões são a que tem mais adeptos registados". Tribuna Expresso (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2024-02-29.
  33. ^ Roseiro, Bruno. "Um acordo de paz que vai a meio: Sporting assina protocolos com duas das quatro claques (incluindo a Juventude Leonina)". Observador (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2024-02-29.
  34. ^ "Títulos do Sporting não crescem. Federação mantém tudo na mesma". Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2024-04-14.
  35. ^ Cotovio, Vasco (12 May 2021). "Sporting Lisbon's bittersweet title win after 19 years of hurt". CNN. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  36. ^ "Frederico Varandas em dia de aniversário: «A melhor época do clube em 115 anos»". www.record.pt (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2024-04-14.
  37. ^ "Sporting com casa nova: cadeiras verdes prontas este mês - Sporting - Jornal Record". Record. Retrieved 2024-03-09.
  38. ^ "Obras em Alvalade e na Academia: SAD do Sporting fechou exercício com investimento em curso de 1,4 M€". www.record.pt (in European Portuguese). Archived from the original on 15 October 2023. Retrieved 2023-10-11.
  39. ^ "Alvalade renovado: Varandas prepara fecho do fosso". www.record.pt (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2024-02-19.
  40. ^ "O antes e o depois (dos azulejos) no estádio do Sporting". www.record.pt (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2024-04-12.
  41. ^ Šimić, Ivan (6 November 2023). "Sporting Lisbon upgrades esports facility at Estádio José Alvalade". Esports Insider. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
  42. ^ "Sporting CP reforça infraestruturas para Esports". RTP Arena (in European Portuguese). 2023-11-04. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
  43. ^ Abola.pt (2024-02-20). "Sporting investe mais de 3 milhões para modernizar o Pólo EUL | Abola.pt". Abola.pt (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2024-02-21.
  44. ^ "Frederico Varandas garante Amorim e deixa bicada aos rivais". Jornal de Notícias (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2024-06-01.
  45. ^ "Já nasceu a filha do líder do Sporting". www.vidas.pt (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  46. ^ "Depois do Sporting, este é o grande amor de Frederico Varandas". Impala (in European Portuguese). 2018-09-12. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  47. ^ Rodrigues, Vasco (2016-05-27). "Katarina Larsson de ouro e bronze para Miguel Fragoso em dia marcado pelos heróis do Paratriatlo". Federação de Triatlo de Portugal (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  48. ^ Rodrigues, Vasco (2017-07-10). "Sporting Clube de Portugal e Associação Naval Amorense vencem sétima etapa da Taça de Portugal de Triatlo". Federação de Triatlo de Portugal (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  49. ^ Arsénio, Dina (2023-05-09). "Bebé a caminho! Frederico Varandas vai ser pai pela segunda vez". Fama Show (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-12-17.
  50. ^ "Katarina Larsson: A namorada do presidente". www.record.pt (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-12-17.
  51. ^ "Varandas vive romance com triatleta sueca Katarina Larsson". www.sabado.pt (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-12-17.
  52. ^ "Entrevista: Katarina Larsson". corrernacidade.com. Retrieved 2023-09-26.
  53. ^ "Katarina Larsson, a viking que conquistou o novo presidente do Sporting". www.cmjornal.pt (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-09-26.
  54. ^ "Frederico Varandas compra nova casa milionária". www.cmjornal.pt (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-09-26.
  55. ^ "As confissões de Frederico Varandas: a viking linda que tem em casa, as ameaças, o medo, a tutela sobre Paulinho e a famosa frase vamos rebentar com eles - a Ferver". Vidas. Retrieved 2024-06-08.
  56. ^ "Varandas: «Tenho um quarto para o Paulinho em minha casa»". Maisfutebol (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2024-06-09.
Preceded by President of Sporting CP
2018- 		Succeeded by
-
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