More than 15 years later, the Portuguese community of Villefranche recreated the Lusitanian Sports Federation, which will evolve into the fifth division this season. With the desire to “meet the chiefs again”.
Thursday, August 22, 2024, the Lusitanian Sports Federation footballers took to the pitch at Tricot. Training sessions have resumed and the new team must get used to them before starting the championship. The club has been around for a long time, but closed its doors in 2010.
“Let's get together”
Fifteen years later, the Portuguese are back from Villefranche. This new adventure began at the beginning of the year with a simple discussion between friends in a bar. “We had this desire to recreate the club to bring it together,” says Bruno Ribeiro, one of the co-presidents. “We noticed that all the villages in the region had been able to create a great team for years, and we said why not consider the Portuguese community important within Villefrançois.”
“Everyone was a little on their side, but it worked out,” adds co-chair José da Silva. “We quickly got the strength we needed, and we did a good job of starting the administrative process early so we could register for the tournament at the beginning of the school year.
The club currently has 28 members. Only one team, made up of seniors, and the presidents have no ambition to go further. “We are not here to chase victory at all, but to have fun with friends, without any hassle,” the two presidents stressed. The club no longer recruits players. “We have found our workforce, and we have made sure to open it to everyone and not just to the Portuguese community.”
The next deadline is at the end of September, with the start of the fifth division championship, and the club will play at home at the Trico stadium. “It will be a great experience with the players,” looks forward to Antoine dos Santos, the team's coach.
