The president of the Associação Académica de Coimbra (AAC), Nuno Santos, publicly condemned the display of a flag with the face of António de Oliveira Salazar during the match between Académica and Lusitânia, held on Saturday. The flag was displayed in the Mancha Negra stand, the Académica supporters' group.
Nuno Santos repudiated the incident, stating that "this is not Académica," making clear that the display of symbols associated with the former dictatorship does not represent the club's values. The condemnation comes within a broader effort by the board to combat behaviors they consider incompatible with Académica's identity.
The match in question was played against Lusitânia, an opponent that is not specified in the article. The Mancha Negra is traditionally the most radical support nucleus of Académica, frequently associated with provocative gestures.
This is not the first incident involving the Mancha Negra this season. Previously, the AAC president had already condemned other similar acts, including the use of torches and flags with messages of an extremist nature, demonstrating a recurring concern with the conduct of part of their own support movement.
