Last Tuesday, May 11, Sporting CP secured 1st place in the National Football Championship in a game against Boavista (1-0), receiving its 19th champion title, the first since 2002
It is the tradition of the clubs in the city to organize festivities in the Marquês de Pombal square, which also assume a spontaneous and popular character, whenever relevant sports titles are concerned. Despite the pandemic context that we still live in, this spontaneous gathering of people was very likely, as has already been seen in Amsterdam, Milan and Manchester, and posed particular challenges to the champion club and the health authorities and security forces.
In the preparatory meetings for the event, the concern of all those present was to reduce the predictable influx of people to a single point: the Marquês de Pombal square. It is in this context the solution is to take players on an open bus, in contact with the fans along a 6 km route, between the José Alvalade Stadium and the Marquês de Pombal.
It is also from this concern that the decision was made not to allow the setting up of a stage, contrary to what has always happened in previous years, in the Marquês de Pombal square. In this way, an attempt was made to guarantee a more widely spread presence of supporters along an extensive route, reducing the crowd of fans in one place and reducing the potential risk to public health.
The Lisbon City Council decided to change the way in which the reception and tribute of the national football champion will take place in Paços do Concelho.
As such, on the 20th of May, and contrary to tradition, supporters will not be allowed in Praça do Município, as well as in the squares and adjacent streets, the ceremony being reserved for guests and athletes from Sporting Clube de Portugal (especially from Sporting schools), as well as the media. Fans will then be able to watch the ceremony on television.
