Portugal’s top official for sports violence prevention urged major clubs to adopt responsible public discourse, emphasizing their critical role in shaping fan behavior and ensuring safety. Rodrigo Cavaleiro, president of the Authority for the Prevention and Combat of Violence in Sport (APCVD), stated that clubs must continue to be held accountable for supporter security at venues.
Cavaleiro highlighted that “the sense of responsibility of all involved is very important, starting with the leaders.” He stressed that major national clubs, given their extensive fan bases and media prominence, “must have responsible discourses.”
Such messaging, he explained, sends a direct signal to fans, who then act based on what they receive. This approach can foster “a climate of pacification,” which, he added, “facilitates the work of all of us.”
Cavaleiro specifically addressed the persistent issue of pyrotechnics in stadiums, warning of their dangers. He noted that “society, as well as the media and sports agents, is still not sufficiently alert to the dangers of pyrotechnics.”
The APCVD president also offered a more unconventional piece of advice: “A smile, sometimes, is stronger than any security measures.”
Cavaleiro made these remarks during the S4 Congress in Viseu, where he presented key indicators on violence in sports venues across Portugal. The conference runs for two days this week.