"Unfortunately, the previous discussion was focused on other topics other than the statutes and almost dominated by a pre-electoral campaign in progress. The 'timing' was not the most appropriate," admitted the lawyer and university professor, in an interview with Lusa agency.

Transferred at the last minute from an auditorium of the Estádio do Dragão to the Dragão Arena, in Porto, due to the large turnout, the extraordinary meeting of November 13, 2023 was suspended by the leader of the Board of the General Meeting, Lourenço Pinto, with several members leaving the pavilion after a short time, following altercations in the stands.

"I would say that this participation was the only positive point of one of the saddest days in the associative life of FC Porto. The events that were seen, especially in the Dragão Arena, and the whole context of totally failed organization, which caused the change from one place to another, were very negative aspects that we cannot forget. On the contrary, we must always keep them very much in mind so that this never happens again," he noted.

The General Meeting would be cancelled five days later, given the withdrawal by the Superior Council of the proposed revision of the statutes under debate, which had been conceived by a commission elected in 2021, during the first meeting of the consultative body in the mandate.

"This commission included people from all sensitivities and worked on the preparation of a proposal, which represented the consensus reached within the Superior Council. The fact that the work started later and, due to various circumstances, lasted longer than desirable, led to its completion in June 2023, closer to the elections, but not as much as in November," said Miguel Brás da Cunha.

The only councilor included in that working group representing the movement "For a greater, united, unsubmissive and eclectic FC Porto", the lawyer saw his speech interrupted at the General Meeting, when he was presenting the proposed revision of the statutes.

"The Superior Council was not competent to intervene in the organization of the General Meeting and in the conduct of the work. In other words, I do not think it is correct to hold it responsible for something that did not go through it. The Superior Council had relevant work in the interests of the club and I think that there is recognition of this by the members," he considered.

The hypothetical adoption of electronic and postal voting, the minimum senior membership of 15 years, instead of the current 10, to run for the presidency or access to the right to vote after two uninterrupted years as a member were changes under debate in the new statutes, which yielded April by June as the maximum limit for holding elections.

The document protected the maintenance of the share capital of SAD in the face of the possible entry of new investors and gave more openness to the realization of business between the holders of the corporate bodies and FC Porto, provided that they safeguarded the "manifest interest of the club".

"It is in the best interest of the next board to look at that work in a dispassionate way and see that there are fundamental ideas to be implemented right now," stressed Luís Folhadela Rebelo, number two on list D, convinced that the universe of Porto "will know how to distinguish who was responsible" for the misconduct at the General Meeting.

Three members are suspended by FC Porto, while 12 people were arrested within the scope of Operation Praetorian, including two club employees and the leader of the Super Dragões fan club, Fernando Madureira, in preventive detention for almost three months.