REINALDO TEIXEIRA, Chairman of the Portuguese Football League
«I AM INSPIRED BY THE CONCEPT OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP, OF FOSTERING GROWTH AND MAKING THINGS HAPPEN.»
In April this year, he was elected Chairman of Liga Portugal (Portuguese Football League), a position he says he takes on with a resolute sense of mission. With more than 30 years being involved in the world of football, he also puts his leadership skills to good use in management and real estate. In an extensive interview with Villas&Golfe, Reinaldo Teixeira reveals himself to be a focused man who prioritises team spirit and fair play, both in his personal and professional life.
What does taking on the role of Chairman of the League mean to you after almost 30 years of involvement in professional football?
I’m not someone who thinks too much about roles on a personal level, whether they’re big or small. I see myself as a team player, level-headed, not afraid to take on responsibility in any area. I understood the challenge and thought about it a lot. Interestingly, that deliberation turned into a wonderful experience behind the wheel on the roads that connect the Alentejo to the Algarve. But if I had to sum it up, although I thought long and hard about it, it was a firm and decisive step towards a mission and not a more personal quest.
What do you think needs to change urgently in professional football in Portugal? In your opinion, what is being underestimated and overestimated?
The technical capabilities and skills of sports clubs are underestimated, even those that do not have the size of the larger ones. They always prove themselves capable, with varying degrees of difficulty, of keeping up with developments in the sport and in parallel and peripheral activities in professional football. As for overestimating, […] perhaps emotion and shouting, biased commentary and unsophisticated behaviour – often without any knowledge of the facts – are overestimated when talking about this industry, which creates thousands of jobs and millions of Euros in tax contributions to Portugal. But to be more specific, I would start by calling for political change to help mitigate the costs involved in running sports clubs, particularly in terms of commercial operations, insurance, taxes and infrastructure.
«The technical capabilities and skills of sports clubs are underestimated, even those that do not have the size of the larger ones.»
Besides your institutional role, do you still get as excited about football as a fan does? Do you still get as emotional as you did when you watched your first matches?
I have to confess that I never got very emotional, not even during my very short career as a player at Associação Cultural de Salir, where I played until I reached senior age. I was never very emotional. […] But yes, I really love a great football match, one that can decide immediate futures, such as a title, a fight against relegation or for promotion. As much as I really enjoy watching good matches, what I admire are things such as good management, the quality of facilities, activities undertaken with fans, valuing the product and fair play. I really love those moments when I see the losers acknowledging the merits of the winning team and the winners feeling the pain of the losers.
«I really love those moments when I see the losers acknowledging the merits of the winning team and the winners feeling the pain of the losers.»
The Liga Portugal Arena project in Oporto represents a new era for Portuguese football. What vision of the future lies behind this facility?
Credit where credit is due: the decision to build the new headquarters of the Portuguese Football League was made by the previous chairman. As for the facility itself, it is equipped to meet the operational needs and events related to the organisation’s activities. I would like to draw attention, for example, to the new spaces at the Liga Portugal Business School, which now has three areas with a capacity for 40 trainees apiece. All the services we provide to sports clubs are accommodated in a functional space designed for this purpose. The building presents other challenges, in particular in its more public areas, which we will now capitalise on and reorganise according to the public and other features that we want to promote and offer to the community.
«I am inspired by the thought that every action or decision taken by the teams I am part of can serve to improve people’s lives and the local economy.»
Oporto is also a city of flavours. Is there a particular restaurant, dish or wine that has become part of your routine when having a good time or socialising?
In this regard, Oporto is a city that is difficult for those who want to stay on track... The city’s vast variety of options, the so-called flavours of the region, the way the food is prepared and the care that each kitchen puts into each dish are all tempting. [...] I love eating, socialising and having good conversations with friends. But, well, you have to mention Oporto’s signature dishes, such as tripe and francesinhas, which are delicious in many restaurants.
In addition to football, you also manage other businesses. What inspires you the most besides football and management?
I am inspired by the concept of entrepreneurship, of fostering growth and making things happen. I am inspired by creating jobs for people and doing so without compromising my principles and ethical values in the slightest. I began my business career in 1983, working in the hotel, real estate and tourism sectors and, later, in education. I am inspired by the village of Pena, the small town of Salir, in Loulé. I am inspired by the beauty of our towns and villages. I am inspired by going on bike rides, working out and spending time with friends. But I am also inspired by the balance struck between business and the social well-being of people and communities. I am inspired by the thought that every action or decision taken by the teams I am part of can serve to improve people’s lives and the local economy.
Being chairman of the Portuguese Football League means being at the sharp end of many decisions and pressures. What personal values do you bring to the leadership of this organisation?
I like to believe that the values that guide me are universally held to be of value to all human beings. That’s why I embrace personal and civic respect, honesty in speech and tolerance in social interaction, and dialogue. I’m also someone who can admit to having
made a mistake without any hang-ups, because reality and context can often overwhelm us.
With such a busy professional life, do you have any daily rituals that help you achieve a balance, with yourself and your family?
I think the only daily ritual I have is to stay awake for as long as I possibly can. And to try to find schedules that coincide with all my professional and personal activities. I have the huge privilege of being in a family of hard-working people with personal responsibilities, where everyone understands what the others have to do. And for this reason, perhaps, quality time is very important, almost more important than actual time. I am lucky that my wife – I have been married for 28 years – and one of my sons are already involved in our companies and have accepted the challenge I set myself. This approach has also allowed the directors of these companies to step up, while I focus on the League. The family has been so supportive, creating harmony and opening up new challenges for our team of directors, who are committed and loyal to the companies. After all, at 61 years of age, I’m not getting any younger.
Is there any product or accessory that you are particularly fond of? Watches, cars... I really like cars, especially sports cars. But I’m not one for extravagance, and even less so at work and when representing organisations and others. My late father was a racing driver. And, as I accompanied him since I was a child, I still really enjoy rallies and rally raids, a sport I still pursue, as well as athletics.
Football is constantly changing. How do you see the Portuguese League 10 years from now, and what would you like your legacy to be?
Nowadays, it is very difficult to predict what will happen 10 years from now. Change and evolution are constant, bringing about factors that cannot be planned for or predicted so far in advance. But there are some factors that remain unchanged. We are working towards this: making the Portuguese League more sustainable, more in line with reality. We cannot lose sight of our values, our stance of transparency and impartiality, while at the same time we have to create measures aimed at greater profitability for sports clubs. The League will only be as strong as the sports clubs are. To achieve this, we are focusing heavily on cost control, generating more revenue and committing to forward-looking changes in regulations and statutes.
Villas&Golfe celebrates lifestyle and sophistication. What do you consider to be true luxury in everyday life?
It is a luxury to be able to feel that you have achieved something, that you have accomplished something, that you have managed to overcome difficulties. It is a luxury to be surrounded by people of value, who want to do good, people who take pleasure in spreading goodness and doing good for other people. And time. Time is a luxury that we must preserve and cherish with good deeds and decisions, in business as in life. An incalculable luxury.
Text: Carla Martins
Photography: Pedro Trindade