Coimbra, 23rd April 2012
Anfiteatro IV – Faculdade de Letras
Coimbra University, Portugal

The I Conference on Communication and Sports, dedicated to the topic Journalism and Football – Portugal, the national team, will take place next Monday, 23rd April 2012, in the Anfiteatro IV of the Faculdade de Letras (Faculty of Arts) of Coimbra University, Portugal.

Since it was founded in 1921, the National Football Team has developed into one of the greatest phenomena of media and popularity in Portugal. Its history is closely linked to that of Portuguese football and of the country. The relevance awarded to events and the Team's results largely exceed the strictly sports dimension thereof; they take on deeper and broader meanings, linked to national pride, the view of the country's value in the framework of nations, and national culture and identity.

In the media, particularly in television, football is certainly the dominant theme in Portugal. Seventeen out of the twenty most viewed programmes on Portuguese television in 2011 (according to Marktest figures) were football matches or related programmes (first to 12th place are all about football). And the National team takes the lead. The national team's qualifying game for the Euro 2012, played against Bosnia on November 15th, was the most viewed programme in 2011, by 2.42 million viewers. According to the top 20 programmes list of Portuguese television, 11 were the National Team's matches.

To analyse this media phenomenon of the National Football Team, while recalling the Team’s history, which celebrates this year their 90th anniversary (they played their first match on 18th December 1921, in Madrid, against Spain), are the two main purposes of this Conference, organised by the Communication, Journalism and Public Space Group of the CEIS20 (the Centre for 20th Century Interdisciplinary Studies) of Coimbra University, in partnership with the Department of Philosophy, Communication and Information of the Faculty of Arts of Coimbra University.

To meet these objectives, the programme counts on the participation of sports journalists and commentators (Manuel Queiroz, from television TVI and radio Antena 1, and Manuel Pedro Gomes, from radio TSF), as well as researchers in football (Francisco Pinheiro, historian, and João Nuno Coelho, sociologist). There will also be five former players of the Portuguese National Team (Manuel Pedro Gomes (9 caps), Artur Jorge (16), Mário Campos (1), Toni (33) and Humberto Coelho (64)) and two former national team managers (Artur Jorge and Humberto Coelho).

In the course of the conference, there will be the launching of the book República, Desporto e Imprensa – O Desporto em 100 primeiras páginas, 1921-1926, by Francisco Pinheiro and João Nuno Coelho, presented by the historians, Irene Vaquinhas and Isabel Vargues. This book includes a selection of 100 front pages from sports newspapers during the period of the 1st Republic, from 1910 to 1926, and seeks to provide an input to sports history in the 1st Republic of Portugal.

Programme

10 am
Opening session by Helena Freitas, Coimbra University's Vice-Rector (for Sport), and Ana Teresa Peixinho, director of the Department of Philosophy, Communication and Information

10.20 am - 10.45
Historical glance at the National Team and journalism Francisco Pinheiro (CEIS20 of Coimbra University)

10.45 am - 11 am – Break

11 am - 12.15 pm
Sports comments and the National Team
Manuel Queiroz (sports commentator for TV TVI and Radio Antena 1, former director of i newspaper)
Manuel Pedro Gomes (former football player, manager and sports commentator for Radio TSF)
Chaired by Francisco Pinheiro and comments by Ana Teresa Peixinho (Coimbra University) and Horácio Antunes, president of Coimbra Football Association

12.15 pm - 12.45 pm
Launch of the book República, Desporto e Imprensa – O Desporto em 100 primeiras páginas, 1910-1926 (Republic, Sport and Press), by Francisco Pinheiro and João Nuno Coelho, presented by historians Irene Vaquinhas and Isabel Vargues, from Coimbra University.

3 pm - 3.30 pm
Portugal, «everyone's team» – Nationalism, football and media João Nuno Coelho, sociologist

3.30 pm - 3.45 pm – Break

3.45 pm - 5 pm
Historical glance at the National Team and journalism
Artur Jorge (former player, former manager of the national team, coach) Mário Campos (former player of the Académica team, doctor)
Toni (António Oliveira) (former player, coach, sports commentator)
Chaired by João Nuno Coelho and comments by Carlos Camponez (Coimbra University)

5 pm Closing session by Humberto Coelho, vice-president of the Portuguese Football Federation (for the National Teams) (former player, former manager of the National Team, coach)

Organising committee
Ana Teresa Peixinho
University of Coimbra (CEIS20)
Carlos Camponez
University of Coimbra (CEIS20)
Francisco Pinheiro
University of Coimbra (CEIS20)

For more click on: http://www.ceis20.uc.pt/ceis20/home/
Organisation email: comunicacao.desporto@gmail.com