Gomes to take over as Portuguese federation president

Posted Sunday, December 11, 2011 by YAHOO Sport

LISBON, Dec 10 (Reuters) - Fernando Gomes will take over from Gilberto Madail as president of the Portuguese Football Federation from next year after beating his only opponent, Carlos Marta, in a ballot on Saturday.

Gomes, 59, will leave his current job as president of the Portuguese Professional Football League, the body that oversees the Portuguese Premier League, League Cup and Liga de Honra, the country’s second tier league.

A former vice-president of FC Porto and basketball champion for the northern club, where he played as a point guard, Gomes won the election by a comfortable margin over Marta, a politician and city mayor. He will serve for three years.

Madail, the incumbent, took over Portuguese football in 1996 and led it through one of its most memorable periods.

He won Portugal’s bid to host Euro 2004 and hired Luiz Felipe Scolari as coach. Scolari took the hosts to the final in Lisbon, which they lost to Greece, then grabbed fourth place at the 2006 World Cup.

During Madail’s tenure, Portugal reached the finals of seven major tournaments, missing only the 1998 World Cup in France. Previously they had participated in only three major international competitions.

Madail said he would not stand for re-election due to health reasons.

Gomes has said he holds current coach Paulo Bento in high regard after Bento steered Portugal through a remarkable revival to qualify for Euro 2012.

In another vote, Vitor Pereira was elected as head of the Portuguese referees’ association. The experienced Pereira refereed at the 1998 and 2002 World Cups and aims to turn referees in Portugal from amateurs to professionals for top competitions.