Boavista, a historic Portuguese football club, is currently experiencing a dramatic sporting crisis. Portuguese football authorities have formalized the administrative relegation of the club to the fifth division, which represents the amateur level of national football. This sanction is due to the failure to present, within the established deadlines, the tax and social security certificates required for registration in the second division.
Boavista, owned by Gerard Lopez (who holds 66% of the shares), had already been relegated sportingly from the Primeira Liga. However, despite this, the club failed to regularize its financial and administrative situation, preventing its registration not only in the second division but also a potential reinstatement in lower divisions (third or fourth tier). Consequently, the Portuguese licensing commission rejected its registration, forcing the club to restart from amateur football.
A former Portuguese champion in 2001 and winner of five national cups, Boavista is in a critical economic state. In recent years, it has faced significant restrictions, with five market blocks in six transfer windows, and in April, the stadium was left without electricity due to unpaid bills. The management now has three days to appeal, although the situation appears extremely difficult. This case closely mirrors what happened with Bordeaux, another club controlled by Lopez, which was relegated to the French fourth tier (National 2) a year ago. Mouscron, in Belgium, also faced administrative relegation in 2022. This marks another negative chapter in the sporting management history of the Spanish-Luxembourgish businessman.
