Nearly €7,000 was donated to Coimbra fire departments last weekend by the local football team Académica in an initiative launched by the club’s administration.
Sunday’s league match between the Coimbra-based team and newly-promoted Lisbon rivals Belenenses did not have an entry ticket cost, but spectators could pay what they felt appropriate, knowing that the money would be donated to the local fire departments.
More than 7,000 people were in attendance at Estádio Municipal de Coimbra and a total of €6,824 was raised.
The two local fire departments, Coimbra and Brasfemes, were at the stadium and marched during half-time, also paying homage to their deceased colleagues with a minute’s silence. Only half of the Brasfemes department was present at the ceremony, however, as the others were fighting a fire in the area of Vouzela.
Académica’s president, José Eduardo Simões, said at the end of the match that he believed the club’s show of solidarity would serve as an important aid in the firemen’s task.
And almost as a karmic reward, the match ended with Académica’s first league victory 2-1.
