Bruno de Carvalho speaks about Slimani suspension at dinner organised by Sporting Foundation

Bruno de Carvaho took part in a charity dinner organised by the Sporting Foundation and the Capulana Association this weekend, hosted in the Aldeia dos Capuchos Hotel. Speaking about the event, the Alvalade president reaffirmed Sporting's commitment to helping those in need: "I was born in Mozambique and I am really happy with having the Sporting Foundation help institutions over there. It is really important for Sporting to understand the important mission we have not just in Portugal, but around the world too. We have to show that we are here to help, not just in terms of sports but also socially."

The Sporting boss also made the most of his time with gathered radio journalists to speak about the re-election of Fernando Gomes as president of the Portuguese Football Federation: "Yesterday I was clear. I see a lot of things I agree with in the mandate that was given today, especially those which touch on discipline and refereeing. That is something that Sporting has been pushing for. I am however saddened with seeing people such as Manuel Santos Serra carry on and I am worried about decisions which I think are a bit knee-jerk, such as the Slimani punishment and the vouchers issue nothing being followed up. Those decisions don't make sense."

Bruno de Carvalho also had a word to say about Vítor Pereira, former president of the Refereeing Council: "I worry, but we do not have the capacity to get people back on track. A lot of decisions which were taken were not good for Portuguese football. All that I am hoping for now is that Vítor Pereira, who finally stepped down, does not receive any awards. Referee nominations for matches made no sense at all and I do not want to see Vítor Pereira rewarded with a place at UEFA or the Refereeing Academy. Let's hope that he is moved away from football once and for all. Those who like true sport and transparency certainly will not miss him."

Alvalade President leads presentation ceremony

Although the Sporting Foundation was actually founded back on the 20th of December 2011, it was with the election of Bruno de Carvalho for the leadership of the club that the Foundation found a new lease of life, helping the parts of society that most need our support.

After the Charity Training event that saw more than 8,000 presents donated to a children's home, the Sporting Foundation has now launched an innovative new product: the Friends of the Sporting Foundation Card. Costing just 10€ for a season, this is a fantastic way to contribute to the lives of the more than 20,000 youths and 200 associations that the Foundation works with.

Speaking at the launch of the initiative, President Bruno de Carvalho laid down signing up for the card as an obligation for all Sporting fans: "Foundations like this one exist to give opportunities and experiences to people and it is important that we all think about the work that the Sporting Foundation does. It has been one of the most important vehicles for showing the human element of the club and we want Sporting to be much more than just a sports institution. We think that the Sporting Foundation will be able to reach out to even more people with the help of the Friends of the Sporting Foundation Card, which is at the heart of what the Foundation was created to do."

Special moment as part of Five Violin Trophy

Gabriel Madeira is just six years old, but he is already a true example of courage, determination and perseverance. Today, the little number 10, whose mother is Italian, will step up to the centre circle to take the kick off against Roma in the Five Violins Trophy.

In May the Sporting Foundation arranged a special visit by Cédric, with the left-back making a surprise stop at the Portuguese Oncology Institute to visit Gabriel and several other little heroes.

Today, almost three months later, Gabriel is fighting strong. Speaking after signing a contract with president Bruno de Carvalho in an executive box in Estádio José Avalade, Gabriel declared “I want to see Montero score three goals!”

Alvalade youngsters in Poland for Hope for Mundial

Alvalade’s youth team are in Poland for the Hope for Mundial Tournament. Making the most of their third day in Warsaw, the Sporting starlets took the opportunity to visit the city centre.

Sporting TV is along for the ride and took the opportunity to speak with some of the players. “People are taking pictures us because of the symbol we have on our chest. It shows how big a club this it. It was a really interesting visit”, said Miguel Ângelo Correia, adding: “Everything is going as expected. Today was our best day of training yet and we are being well looked after.”

Marco Fernandes also gave his backing to the visit: “I really like it. It was a nice trip and we have seen a lot of things about World War II. Lunch was really great too and so was training. Everything is going well and it feels like we are being looked after because we are Sporting.”

Rúben, also known as 'Ronaldo', also spoke about the day’s busy schedule: “I most liked the interaction we have had. We have met up with the Mexican, Colombian and Jordanian teams and it was really nice to talk to them.”

The head of the Alvalade contingent, Pedro Baptista, had the final visit about the trip so far: “The main objective of this initiative is the social factor. It is the human part of our athletes and it is good for them to get to know more about culture, the city and its history. It was also nice to spend some time with the other national teams.”