Following successive efforts to manipulate public opinion (by Rui Gomes da Silva, Pedro Guerra, José Eduardo Moniz and the president Luís Filipe Vieira) regarding an nonexistent write off of debt, those same individuals and others, namely António Figueiredo and Jaime Antunes, with the goal of making new insinuations about debt write offs, the non-payment of interest or low interest rates.

On that subject, we would like to again make the following clear:

1 - There has been no write off. All that has happened is a difficult, complex, prolonged and detailed negotiation for a financial restructuring where Sporting Clube de Portugal has already cleared more debt than was expected.

2º - As is openly known, the financial restructuring has a deadline of 2026, which means that various acts have been agreed with the banks and approved by the club's Members in a General Assembly, namely regarding an increase in capital, the extension of Compulsory Convertable Debentures (CCD) and the emission of CCD's and subordinated debenture loans.

This attack from individuals connected to Benfica, firstly with regards to television contracts/shirt sponsorship/club channel exclusivity, and now with regards to the mentioned financial restructuring, is clear proof of Benfica's chronic incapacity to make good business deals or agreements.

Benfica fans should not be so worried or alarmed with what Sporting Clube de Portugal is doing right, but rather with their club's incapacity and constant complaining.

Sporting - Sociedade Desportiva de Futebol SAD issued this content on 2016-01-12 and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 2016-01-12 21:23:18 UTC

Original Document: http://www.sporting.pt/en/news/club/statements/2016-01-12/club-statement