Filipe Soares Franco

Filipe Pinto Basto Soares Franco (born 11 March 1953 in Lisbon) was the 46th president of Sporting CP,[1] one of Portugal's biggest comprehensive sports clubs, second child and second son of Rui Guedes Soares Franco and Isabel Maria da Câmara Ferreira Pinto Basto (Noblemen of Coat of Arms – and a descendant of Louis, comte de Narbonne-Lara, of the Duke of Loulé and of Infanta Ana de Jesus Maria of Portugal).[2][3]

He succeeded António Dias da Cunha in 2006 after the latter resigned in solidarity with manager José Peseiro. He won the election held on 28 April 2006 with 70% of the votes, beating Guilherme Lemos and Abrantes Mendes.

After his "Project Finance" was defeated in general assembly, Soares Franco called for elections, saying he would not be a candidate in the presidential run. However, on 12 April 2006, he officially announced his candidacy. Still, on 2 June, his proposal to the Project Finance was not approved by members of the club so he ended up not running for the Presidency.

On 5 July 2009 he was succeeded in the Presidential chair by José Eduardo Bettencourt who defeated Paulo Pereira Cristóvão.

He presented a candidateship to the Portuguese Football Federation on 7 September 2011[4][5] but withdrew on 4 October due to lack of support.[6]

He was married to and divorced Isabel Maria Borges Coutinho. The couple has four children.[7][8]