Five months after giving birth, Portuguese national 400-meter record holder Cátia Azevedo found her contract with Sporting terminated after 18 years of representation, leaving her without a club during a crucial phase of preparation for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. As reported by A Bola, the 32-year-old athlete was told by Sporting’s athletics technical director, Paulo Reis, that returning to competition after maternity was “a shot in the dark.”
Contract Negotiations and Maternity Disputes at Sporting
The parting of ways followed two separate negotiation meetings between Azevedo and Sporting officials. According to interviews published by A Bola, the club initially proposed a one-year contract renewal featuring a salary reduction. During a second meeting attended by Paulo Reis and vice-president Miguel Afonso, alternative options were put on the table: maintaining her previous salary for a single year, or signing a two-year deal with a reduced financial value structured around green receipts (independent contractor status). Azevedo rejected both paths, stating she required a stable two-year runway to recover from her pregnancy and a prior injury that took a long time to heal.
Azevedo recounted to A Bola that Paulo Reis told her directly, You were a mother. You are a shot in the dark, I don’t know how you will come back.
The director argued that because of a pre-pregnancy injury and the subsequent maternity leave, she had not delivered results for the club over the previous two years. Azevedo contested this framing, noting that she had asked for four years of security during her prior renewal to cover the Olympic cycle, receiving a verbal assurance from Reis that her terms would remain protected until 2028 regardless of circumstances—a promise she states was broken.
Sporting disputes Azevedo claims over contract renewal
While Azevedo maintains that club leadership offered no flexibility and proved entirely intransigente, A Bola reported a differing account from the club’s perspective. According to that reporting, Sporting presented a proposal to renew her contract for one year under the exact same financial terms as her previous agreement, an option the athlete ultimately turned down. Azevedo singled out vice-president Miguel Afonso as the sole official who treated her with professional courtesy throughout the process, while expressing deep disappointment that her nearly two decades of service and her status as a three-time Olympian—having competed in Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020, and Paris 2024—were reduced strictly to financial ledger calculations.
The public announcement of her departure alongside five other athletes triggered criticism across social media, including public remarks from fellow Olympic athlete Marta Pen, who labeled the lack of club support for Azevedo’s new life stage as unbelievable. Azevedo noted that she returned to training just two weeks after giving birth out of fear of losing her livelihood. Meanwhile, the athlete’s husband, shot putter and fellow Sporting competitor Tsanko Arnaudov—who was also trained by Paulo Reis—faced no such reduction talks following his own experience of parenthood, highlighting a disparity that Azevedo connected directly to gendered treatment in high-performance athletics.
Training as an Individual and Targeting Los Angeles 2028
Operating without a club affiliation, Azevedo plans to compete strictly as an individual athlete at least until the official transfer window reopens in January. Financially, the exit disrupts her stability, a reality she and her husband are dealing with as they map out their competitive goals. Her last official race took place on August 6, 2024, during the 400-meter repechage heats at the Paris Olympic Games.
Despite the abrupt end to her 18-year tenure in Alvalade, Azevedo insists that targeting a fourth Olympic appearance at Los Angeles 2028 remains entirely realistic. Emphasizing that she considers high-performance running her profession and innate talent rather than a closed chapter, she intends to rebuild her racing rhythm through consistent competition throughout the upcoming athletic season.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cátia Azevedo and Sporting
How many years did Cátia Azevedo represent Sporting?
Cátia Azevedo competed for Sporting for 18 years before her contract ended and the club chose not to renew her terms following her return from maternity leave.
What specific reason did Sporting management give for cutting her salary?
According to Azevedo’s interviews with A Bola, athletics technical director Paulo Reis argued that her maternity leave and a prior injury meant she had not delivered results for the club over the previous two years, describing her return to competition as a shot in the dark.
 "Photo: abola.pt")
Where will Cátia Azevedo compete now that she is without a club?
Azevedo will compete as an individual athlete until the re-opening of the transfer window in January, maintaining her focus on qualifying for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
What was the outcome of Sporting’s contract proposals?
Azevedo rejected all proposed terms—which included a one-year cut, a one-year flat rate, and a reduced two-year agreement on green receipts—stating that she required a stable two-year contract without pay reductions to support her return from motherhood and injury.
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