The president of Liga Portugal, Reinaldo Teixeira, was present at the Gala of the Centenary of the Évora Football Association, where he advocated for greater coordination between professional football, district football, and youth development. According to Reinaldo Teixeira, the sustainability of professional competitions depends on the existence of a strong amateur and grassroots football, emphasizing that "there is professional football because there is amateur football, and there is youth development." The leader highlighted the growth of AFE, which went from approximately two thousand athletes to over four thousand, with the goal of reaching five thousand.
When questioned about the prolonged absence of Alentejo clubs in the two top divisions of Portuguese football, Reinaldo Teixeira stated that he would like to see all regions represented in professional football, but noted that this presence cannot be mandated by decree and depends on the clubs' ability to create sustainable projects. The leader argued that the creativity of club administrators, investment capacity, and emerging opportunities will be decisive for the emergence of new projects.
Reinaldo Teixeira admitted that Alentejo may benefit from new investments in football, pointing to the growing weight of foreign capital in Portuguese professional clubs. According to the president of Liga Portugal, around 60 percent of professional clubs are already owned by foreign capital, and he believes that sooner or later a similar investment will emerge in Alentejo, which could transform a regional club into an SAD (public limited sports company) and enable it to reach Liga 2 or even Liga 1.
The leader considered that the territorial dimension and characteristics of Alentejo may constitute attraction factors for future projects, noting that the district of Évora is among the largest in the country by geographic area. Despite the current absence of representation in the top divisions, Reinaldo Teixeira expressed optimism about the future and believes conditions are in place for Alentejo to once again have a representative among the major stages of Portuguese football.
