Bruno de Carvalho announces intention to run for president of Sporting CP

Former Sporting president Bruno de Carvalho has confirmed his intentions to stand as candidate for the Sporting presidency.

Carvalho, who was ousted as Sporting president in extraordinary fashion one and a half years ago, announced his candidacy via Radio Estadio, and reiterated his stance via Twitter later the same day, stating: “Today I announced on Radio Estadio that I am a candidate for the Presidency of Sporting Clube de Portugal,” providing a link to the interview.

The controversial figure was voted out of office back in June 2018, with 61% voting in favour of his removal as president of the club. He went on to be suspended as a member of Sporting CP after being expelled from the club in its entirety a year later - a suspension which is still in place now.

Carvalho was ousted as Sporting president as fans began to lose all confidence in their leader. The decision also came in the aftermath of the violent scenes at Alcochete, where a group of ‘fans’ rushed the Sporting training complex and attackes players and staff just before Sporting’s Portuguese Cup final with Aves. They went on to lose that clash 2-1.

Subsequent to the attack, several key players at Sporting went on to terminate their contracts with Sporting, citing “just cause”, the likes of Rui Patricio, William Carvalho, Rafael Leao, Daniel Podence, Bas Dost and Bruno Fernandes amongst the contingent choosing to leave the club after the unilateral termination, the two latter players going on to rejoin the club after de Carvalho departed.

Carvalho also publicly criticised his players after Sporting fell to a 3-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid in the Europa League, and initially suspended more than a dozen of his own players as a result, though the decision was eventually overturned.