Farense president António Barão announced his resignation on Friday (July 24) after seven years in charge of the club.
The decision follows Farense’s relegation to third tier football – largely due to an administrative cock-up that cost the club two much-needed points.
The point deduction was punishment for the use of an ineligible player (Harramiz) against Benfica B in March.
If Farense had not lost those two points, they would have remained in the Segunda Liga.
The club’s shares have also been seized by Ginásio Clube Naval de Faro due to a €300,000 debt.
Barão did not address either issue directly in his statement, saying instead that the time has come to “end a cycle”.
“It was a cycle in which I experienced, with those who accompanied me, moments of great happiness and others of deep sadness,” he said.
Barão started his career at Farense as sports director in 2006 when the club dropped to the Algarve’s regional league, becoming president later in 2009.
“I’ll never forget the day that I arrived – the conditions were surreal and many of the athletes didn’t show the will to represent Farense,” he said.
“But despite the initial difficulties, we were able to build a beautiful trail back to professional football.”
Farense finally made it back to Portugal’s second league in 2013, having now dropped again to the national third tier.
“I’m leaving the club and breaking a promise I made to a man I admire and to the fans who believed in me,” Barão said, referring to the promise he made to the club’s main shareholder Aníbal Guerreiro that he would take Farense back to its glory days in Portugal’s first divison.
“But I’m leaving with the conviction that I did everything I could and many times what I could not do for a club that nearly took my life,” he added.
Farense will soon undergo early elections to name a new president.
