ANDIn a statement, the FPF informs that the management’s Emergency Committee decided to exclude the Sintra club following the hearing of the federative Licensing Commission, having justified this sentence with irregularities in the sixth point of the 13th article of the regulations of the fourth national division.
“Clubs participating in the CP must obtain a minimum three-star certification in the season immediately prior to participating in the competition, carried out by the FPF in accordance with the certification regulations for training entities”, expresses the article cited by the Portuguese football regulator.
In July, the sports press reported that Sacavenense sent a letter to the FPF, in which he claimed that the 1st December did not meet the conditions to compete in the next edition of the CP and was in default on wages, accusations refuted by the Sintrenses.
The 1st. December came down to CP in 2025/26, finishing Series 2 of League 3 maintenance in fifth and penultimate place, with 16 points, two behind the permanence zone, following Amora, Sporting de Braga B and Sanjoanense in the quartet of teams relegated to the fourth tier.
The Sintrenses were supposed to occupy one of the 14 places in Series 4 of the CP in 2026/27, but were defeated by Sacavenense, runner-up in the main division of the Lisbon Football Association (AF), behind Real Massamá, who returned to the national championships as district champion.
The decision was taken two days before the start of Series 4 of the national fourth tier, whose opening day includes Sacavenense’s visit to Imortal, in Albufeira.
In addition to joining the CP, the Sacavém team will participate in the first round of the Portuguese Cup and will visit Real Massamá on August 30, in a round that also includes Lourel, designated as representative of AF Lisboa and host of Angrense, from the Azorean districts.
“Congratulations to those who finally in Portugal are not afraid to look at the sporting truth and honesty, enforcing the laws without giving in to powers installed in the past, which allowed sporting, ethical and financial inequalities”, reacted Sacavenense, on social media.
The 1st. December has already filed an appeal with precautionary measures at the Sports Arbitration Court (TAD), and, on Wednesday, also through social media, he stated that he had met the requirements for access to the CP and guaranteed that, if he were removed, he was prepared to challenge the federative sentence.
“We have full confidence in the competent entities, and in particular the FPF, to decide this process based on the regulations and applicable law, and not due to pressure from third parties with a direct interest in occupying the vacancy that, due to sporting merit and regulatory compliance, belongs to the 1st December”, said the people from Sintra.
The FPF’s decision will also have administrative implications in the main division of AF Lisboa and will take the 1st December B team to the second district division, as it cannot compete with the senior team in the same championship, in which it remained in 2025/26, being 12th.
