Despite relegation to Liga 3, the club sees its structural pillar strengthened by investment, vision for the future and commitment to the municipality of Mafra.
Clube Desportivo de Mafra – Futebol, SAD is today going through a moment of reflection, but also of rebuilding. After seven consecutive seasons in professional football, the confirmation of relegation marks the end of one cycle — and the start of another.
At a turning point, The Football Collective, majority shareholder of CD Mafra – SAD, reinforces its confidence in the path set out and in the potential that continues to grow on and off the pitch.
Per Rud, CEO of CD Mafra – SAD, sought to answer the question on the minds of many supporters: Why keep investing after relegation?
“The Danish owners of CD Mafra like the town, the club and the people of the club. They know that we are now in Liga 3 and that we have to go up again. We need investment to get there, but we also have to develop all the departments of the club. Something that requires investment. The Danish owners support the club when it comes to investment.” – says Per Rud.
Per Rud has been a constant presence — albeit a discreet one — in the day-to-day life of Clube Desportivo de Mafra – Futebol, SAD. He is one of the key figures behind the most recent structural advances, including the administrative reorganisation.
“Since the Danish owners arrived at the club there have been many investments. We signed players on long-term contracts, which is not usual in Portugal. We signed young players and played with a very young team. We were by far the youngest team in the II Liga and we did that because we want to create a club we can be proud of, both of the players when they take us to the highest level and when they have the possibility of being sold to play for big clubs. Many good things have been happening here. We have to continue that work and create an environment that nobody has seen in this country.”
These improvements represent more than a cosmetic investment, they are a structural change in the way the club works and welcomes its athletes. But the plans go beyond what is already visible. A new academy is planned, to be born on Mafra soil.
“I have watched many matches, I have seen and met many people. I also saw that we had many difficulties in the league this season. We know this is football. We know that sometimes in football things go well, sometimes they go badly. The mistakes we made this season will serve as learning and next season will be better, I promise. We also know the investments we are going to bring to the club. We have already done a lot. We created a first-class football pitch for training in Mafra, we built new facilities including changing rooms, an auditorium, the front office and a gym. We have excellent facilities here, but that is not enough. So, we bought a piece of land, a large piece of land, very close to here, where we will build a campus for use, training and high performance with the first team. We are eager to present these plans to you, but we need a little more time and work before we can announce them, but I can promise that together with the owners and all the good people who are here our future will be bright.”
Asked how the tension between immediate results and a long-term project is managed, Per Rud is clear:
“Last season [2023/24], extraordinary work was done here, to the point that we had players leaving for big clubs. The Danish owners were very pleased with the players who went there. We sold players who became national champions this season. Of course, for this we need to make many good decisions. We had good players coming in, but we were not able to create a team that worked well together and won matches. In the future, our focus will continue to be finding the best talents in Portugal, but we also need to have a solid base of Portuguese players who create the environment needed for high performance, so the balance of playing with young players is also a matter that depends on good management by the coaches and also by the experienced players, who have to deliver a level of performance higher than what we saw this season.”
Finally, Per Rud leaves a direct message to those who never stopped supporting CD Mafra:
“Dear CD Mafra supporters, this season was very difficult, we know we let you down. We will change that in the future. I promise you that, together with all the experienced people we have in Mafra – the longest-serving President, a sporting director with vast experience – and all the investments to come, we will build a strong team so that we can come back.”
CD Mafra thus enters a new chapter. The future has already begun to be written. And it promises to be made of more than words: it will be made of building works, people and an unshakeable commitment to growth.
