The CEO of Liga Portugal, André Mosqueira do Amaral, has penned a thought-provoking opinion piece published in A Bola, one of Portugal’s leading daily newspapers. In his column, he underscores the strategic relevance of the Sport Transparency Index, a pioneering project led by SIGA through SIGA EUROPE.
Developed over 30 months in collaboration with partner organisations, the Sport Transparency Index is a landmark initiative that aims to identify and quantify best practices in sports governance. Co-funded by the European Union through the ERASMUS+ Programme, the project provides a robust, independent benchmark that enables all stakeholders to enhance transparency by offering clear and implementable policies, alongside education and training to raise standards across the sector.
Liga Portugal was among the entities evaluated in the Index’s first edition, achieving a score of 9 out of 15 verified indicators. At the official launch event in Brussels, André Mosqueira do Amaral reaffirmed the League’s full commitment to advancing transparency, expressing his determination to swiftly meet all 15 verified indicators.
Notably, in 2023, Liga Portugal became the first Professional Football League to receive SIRVS certification for Good Governance in Sport, earning a bronze rating – a testament to its ongoing commitment to integrity, accountability, and continuous improvement.
Read the original op-ed in Portuguese
Read below the translated version:
The Light from Brussels
“Liga Para Todos” is the biweekly opinion column by André Mosqueira do Amaral, Executive Director of Liga Portugal
The launch of the Sport Transparency Index in Brussels by the Sport Integrity Global Alliance (SIGA) marks a significant step forward for the future of European sport. Led by Emanuel Macedo de Medeiros, this project is rooted in academic methodology, validated by independent experts, and aims to measure – rigorously and impartially – one of the most intangible and, at the same time, most valuable assets in the sector: transparency.
It is an external and objective instrument with a clear ambition – not only to assess, but also to promote the continuous improvement of sports organizations. Its relevance is undeniable: quantifying the abstract gives substance to trust, a crucial condition for attracting serious and qualified investment in a sector that is increasingly subject to public and regulatory scrutiny.
Transparency should not be seen as a mere ethical imperative. It is, increasingly, a competitive factor, a sign of institutional maturity, and a pillar of long-term sustainability. That is why this Index can (and should) be understood as a transformative tool: for the way it encourages best practices, establishes common benchmarks, and projects trust into the markets.
At a time when Portugal is preparing to move forward with the centralization of audiovisual rights, it is important to look carefully at assessment models that go beyond financial criteria. The creation of independent indices measuring social impact, for example – taking inspiration from this kind of approach – could become essential to ensure a fairer, more meritocratic distribution that aligns with the values football should stand for.
I thank SIGA and its partners for the vision they have demonstrated. May this project serve as an inspiration for a more transparent, modern, and integrity-driven sport. That is the path we will continue to follow – with rigour, responsibility, and a strong sense of purpose.
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ABOUT SIGA
SIGA is the world’s leading organisation for Sport Integrity. We are creating a whole new landscape for the sports industry by delivering independent global rating and certification for world Sport to ensure it is governed and operates under the highest integrity standards: The SIGA Universal Standards.
Funded by our Members, SIGA is a non for profit global independent organisation with one aim: To ensure the sport industry is governed under the highest integrity standards so that the values of sport are protected.
SIGA is the only organisation to bring together sport, governments, academia, international organisations, sponsors, business, rights holders, NGOs and professional services companies, from every region in the world, around a common cause of fostering greater integrity throughout sport.
SIGA is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, as a non for-profit association, and comprises of the following continental subsidiaries: SIGA AMERICA, SIGA EUROPE and SIGA LATIN AMERICA.
For more information on SIGA, including its vision, mission and reform agenda, please refer to the website: www.siga-sport.com and FAQs.
To contact SIGA, please email: comms@siga-sport.com.
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