Basketball club and Albufeira council clash over funding cut

A bitter row over funding cuts has emerged in Albufeira, where a local basketball club is accusing the local council of cutting an essential subsidy which it says has jeopardised its sporting project for the 2026/27 season.

The council, on the other hand, says the club has received roughly the same amount in funding as all the other sports clubs in the municipality combined.

In a statement issued last week, the Imortal Basket Club board said it no longer has the financial conditions necessary to continue its project following the reduction in municipal support.

The announcement came ahead of elections for the club’s governing bodies on June 17, with the current board saying it does not believe there are sufficient conditions to continue the sporting project it has developed in recent years.

Founded in 2011, Imortal Basket Club currently supports around 250 athletes across youth and senior teams and has established itself as one of the Algarve’s leading basketball organisations, competing in Portugal’s top tiers in both the men’s and women’s game.

“Imortal Basket Club has reached an unprecedented level of excellence in the national basketball scene, elevating the name of Albufeira to heights never before achieved, both in the men’s and women’s categories. Throughout this journey of continuous growth, the board has always relied on great ingenuity and effort to find budgetary solutions season after season,” the club’s board laments.

Sponsorships from local tourism companies have also played a key role in supporting the club. However, funding from the municipal council helped cover the lion’s share of its operational costs.

“It has always been clear that the sustainability of a project of this scale at the elite level of national sport depended significantly on financial support from the municipality. With the loss of this vital support at the present time, it becomes mathematically impossible for the current board to ensure the continuation of the activity under the current conditions,” it says.

While the current board says it cannot continue under the proposed financial conditions, it expressed hope that new candidates will come forward in the June 17 elections and build on the club’s sporting achievements, which include national titles at youth and senior level and recognition as the Algarve’s only certified basketball training club.

Council says decision boils down to “justice” in allocation of public funding

The municipal council of Albufeira – the only one in the Algarve led by a mayor elected by far-right party CHEGA – has a completely different view on the matter.

In a statement, the local authority argues instead that it is introducing a fairer and more transparent approach to sports funding.

Addressing the Imortal Basket Club drama, the council said it had reduced support in order to ensure “justice and equity” in the allocation of public funding among sports clubs across the municipality.

The municipality noted that it currently has no formal regulations governing support for sports clubs and is preparing a new framework based on objective criteria, including community impact, youth development and participation in sport.

According to the council, support granted to Imortal Basket Club in 2025 amounted to approximately €600,000 when direct financial contributions, facility-related costs and other forms of support are taken into account.

The municipality said this figure was broadly equivalent to the total amount allocated to all other clubs in the municipality for youth development programmes combined.

The council also argued that Portuguese legislation prohibits local authorities from financially supporting professional sports teams. Citing Decree-Law 273/2009, the council said it believes previous support provided to Imortal’s senior professional teams may not have been legally justified.

According to the municipality, around €45,000 of the club’s 2025 support package was directed towards youth development, with additional funding allocated to minibasketball, tournaments, vehicle hire and collaboration in municipal holiday programmes. The remaining funding, it said, was largely associated with senior teams and related activities.

The council said it had presented the club with a proposal during a meeting on May 11 that would increase support for youth development and social inclusion initiatives while continuing to provide funding for certain senior-team projects. The total proposed package, according to the municipality, amounted to €300,000 – around half of the amount funded in 2025.

Albufeira’s executive says future funding agreements will prioritise youth sport, grassroots participation and initiatives that broaden access to physical activity, including support for children and young people from families facing financial difficulties.

Despite the disagreement, the municipality acknowledged the club’s contribution to local sport and the visibility it has brought to Albufeira.

“The municipality of Albufeira recognises the importance of Imortal Basket Club in the local and national sporting landscape and in promoting the image of the municipality,” the council said, adding that it remains open to continuing to support the club.

It insists, however, that it “cannot continue to cover expenses related to professional teams nor the financial and sports management sustainability of a club that has, over many years, been privileged compared to all other clubs in the municipality of Albufeira. The focus of the municipality of Albufeira is compliance with legality, as well as the development and strengthening of youth training for young people from Albufeira.”