Saturday's morning sessions kicked off with the presence of João Costa, Minister of Education, under the panel conference 'Training and Infrastructures - the Road to Excellence', with Vítor Pataco, Paulo Frischknecht and Luísa Salgueiro

Day two of the Thinking Football Summit 2022 is already underway! New panels and new speakers, in a schedule packed with events and activities, which included the presence of the Minister of Education, João Costa, who began by making reference to an "impressive event organised by Liga Portugal", before sharing his vision on the topic 'Training and Infrastructures - The Road to Excellence':

"The role of Sport in national education policies is fundamental. In 2017, we initiated a school program reform regarding education systems, covering 10 areas, with young people's future success always as one of the priorities. The Desporto Escolar (School Sport) also plays a very important role in the development of young people and children, with programs that motivate them, whether at school, in sports or in social practices. A better world is possible," he said, while explaining the importance of the role of the support units for high-performance schools:

"We want young people to win medals for Portugal, but we also want them to be good students. There are already 19 of these schools in the country that allows them to study, but also become high-performance athletes, without prejudice to any area. And the result is very positive and above average, in addition to fulfilling their performances in the competitions in which they participate."

Luísa Salgueiro, Mayor of Matosinhos and President of the National Association of Portuguese Municipalities, was also present, as she highlighted the role of municipalities and city councils. "They are indeed pivotal, especially in the infrastructures that are built on schools, such as pavilions, swimming pools or athletics tracks, which promote a healthy lifestyle. On the other hand, the City Councils are crucial in facilitating the practice of sports, whether it's registrations, medical examinations or training equipment, which are part of their development process", she stressed.

Paulo Frischknecht, President of the Fundação do Desporto (Sports Foundation), who also did not want to miss this grand football fair, made a few comments about the role of the foundation in the construction of infrastructures: "We want, above all, to promote the practice of sports in a well-balanced way, as part of a social mission, where sports facilities are built to provide our players with the best conditions. They are, above all, digital study rooms so that students can combine their studies with their sporting activities."

Last but not least, Vítor Pataco, President of the Portuguese Institute for Sports and Youth, mentioned that "the investment of the municipalities has been tremendous", something that should be complemented "with quality infrastructures that have a positive impact on the community" while setting a challenge for the near future:

"Today, the biggest challenges faced by the decision-makers is the nature of the facilities that should be built in the urban tissue, being complemented with the trends and needs of each region."