In the City of Football, in Oeiras, Luciano Gonçalves took office for a third and final term as leader of APAF, after being re-elected with 100% of the votes, while referee Luís Godinho chairs the General Assembly (MAG).

"I pondered a lot whether I should continue with this difficult mission, not always rewarding and rarely understood. Unfortunately, football is very unfair, it has too many obstacles. It takes a lot of willpower and passion to avoid these obstacles without losing sight of the essential focus, which is to improve football and refereeing. There is a toxic climate in football in Portugal, the punishments continue to be lenient and there is a clear feeling that crime pays off," Luciano Gonçalves began by emphasizing, during his speech.

Considering that the result of the elections "brought an increased responsibility", the president of APAF assured that he will "defend and demand for the referees what they deserve", with the conviction that they are "always part of the solution and not the problem".

"You can count on the loyalty and respect of this team, which only demands the same in return," he said, adding: "The humanization of the referee figure must be a clear goal. It is unacceptable that they can continue to be a punching bag for others".

The "flag" of the electoral campaign, which is intended to become a reality during the four-year period 2024-2028, involves the construction of a training center, "which will be a historic milestone for national and international refereeing", towards professionalization.

"It is our desire to listen to opinions, contributions and problems, and to discuss them with the right people. It is essential that there be the broadest possible convergence and only together can we fight for the evolution of refereeing and football. We are aware of the difficulties. Easy times are not foreseen, but this team is prepared to be part of the solution. For all the referees of the past, present and future, and for a more dignified and respected APAF", concluded Luciano Gonçalves, 43, who has held the position since 2016.

Luís Godinho, sworn in as president of MAG, succeeding referee Artur Soares Dias in the post, closed the inauguration with a long and much-applauded speech by those present, in which he even gave personal examples to illustrate his idea.

"It is imperative that referees, and refereeing, open up more and more to the world. Steps have been taken in this direction, but more needs to be done. It is essential that people know our essence and know that, on this side, there are men and family men who work hard, celebrate their victories and mourn their defeats," he said.

The referee from the Évora Football Association, 38, recalled that, last season, 37 referees were assaulted in stadiums and sports halls and that, this season, there have already been 10, with the communiqués and actions to denounce the acts being insufficient.

"We all have bad days, in our personal and professional lives. Regardless of who is here and whether we are the best or worst in the world, there can be no doubt about the integrity of the referee whenever there is an error. I am a staunch defender of criticism, but I do not give up fighting those who, with criticism, question the values of the referee. We are a giant country in sporting terms, with great coaches, footballers, managers, but also great referees," he stressed, calling for better measures.

Luís Godinho also believes that "the freedom that April gave us has clearly been betrayed", because "there is a completely wrong idea" about the use of freedom of expression: "Few are those who measure the weight of words and the impact they have on the lives of those involved. These words do nothing to pacify Portuguese football".