The sports world always keeps us on our toes. Sometimes, news comes from unexpected places. This week, a big move happened in government offices. The Secretary of State for Sport brought in a familiar face. She is a former director from Portugal’s Football Federation, the FPF. Her name is Rute Soares.
Rute Soares left the FPF this year. She had been removed from her duties earlier. It happened in March. Three other directors also faced suspension. The FPF board made this decision. It followed police searches. These searches were part of an operation called ‘Mais-Valia’.
The FPF president, Pedro Proença, was not happy. He wanted answers about a deal. This deal involved the federation’s old headquarters. Proença wasn’t satisfied with the explanations. So, he decided to suspend all four directors. It’s important to note this part. None of them have been officially named in the court investigation so far. But the suspension still happened. Now, Rute Soares steps into a new role. She joins the Secretary of State’s cabinet. It’s a fresh chapter for her. It shows how past events can linger, even when no charges are filed.