On Friday afternoon at the Thinking Football Summit, FC Famalicão President Miguel Ribeiro took to the TFS Stage to discuss key topics, including the centralisation of media rights in Liga Portugal.

"It's a challenge that FC Famalicão doesn’t control; it’s established by law. We have 2026 as an important milestone, and 2028 will be the final deadline. What we do know is that competent people will lead this process, following examples from other leagues. FC Famalicão is part of the Liga Portugal community, and we will grow as the league grows. I believe that both big and small clubs should be guided by fairness—achieving a balance between different situations, challenges, and clubs to ensure equal treatment," Miguel Ribeiro stated in a discussion moderated by Rui Orlando.

He expressed confidence in the leadership of Liga Portugal and the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) and believes that the collective effort of club presidents will lead to a fair and effective outcome. "We’re not reinventing the wheel. We’re following in the footsteps of Spain, Italy, France, Germany, and England. We’ll carefully examine their models, replicating what works for our league, while acknowledging the unique challenges we face due to Portugal’s size and population."

Ribeiro also emphasized the need to continue uniting Portuguese football around the competence of its managers. "Portuguese football is a strong global symbol, unmatched in many ways. From our players, like Cristiano Ronaldo, to our coaches and managers, and the strength of the Portugal brand, we stand out. Our challenge is to keep building a league that unites people, focuses on talent, and recognizes that Portuguese players are ready to compete in top leagues like the Premier League. This talent and competence will also drive success in media rights centralisation."

During the conversation, Miguel Ribeiro shared FC Famalicão's success story, highlighting the club’s rise from the second division. "When we started in 2018, our goal was to build a first-division club while still in the second division. We focused on building departments, establishing a vision, and creating a philosophy. After our promotion, we clearly defined our approach, centered on the game and the player, with sustainability as our focus. In the first phase, we drew on investments to establish a foundation for sustainability, particularly through player development. Over the past two seasons, FC Famalicão has generated over €20 million from player transfers," he revealed.