Miguel Nogueira at the Dragão: recent history reignites row | OneFootball

The appointment of Miguel Nogueira for the decisive FC Porto–Sporting CP match, counting toward the Portuguese Cup semi-final, once again puts refereeing at the centre of attention. And not by chance: the referee has built up a recent track record of disputed decisions in games involving the Dragons, still fresh in the memory of the fans.

The penalty on Deniz Gül that went unawarded

The most glaring case came in the clássico against SL Benfica. Near the end of the match, Deniz Gül went down in the box after an incident with António Silva, with the footage showing a clear shirt pull. The penalty was not given, and FC Porto expressed strong dissatisfaction with the decision. According to information known at the time, Porto’s officials did not understand the interpretation made by the refereeing team led by Miguel Nogueira — an incident that had a direct impact on the result and sparked widespread criticism.

The unusual VAR-by-mobile-phone case

Another episode that marked the referee’s recent path was a highly unusual case in modern football. In a match affected by technical problems with VAR, Miguel Nogueira ended up overturning a decision without using the monitor, relying solely on communication with the video refereeing team, made with the help of a mobile phone. The situation was widely debated at the time and raised serious doubts about the reliability of the process in high-pressure matches.

A pattern that is hard to ignore

Despite some positive internal assessments, FC Porto matches refereed by Miguel Nogueira have frequently been surrounded by controversy: disputed incidents, borderline decisions and strong reactions from fans. Factors that make this appointment particularly sensitive.

A clássico under maximum pressure

The clash at the Estádio do Dragão will decide a place in the Portuguese Cup final. FC Porto come in trailing from the first leg, and Sporting will try to manage the result in an atmosphere of enormous competitive tension. In a scenario like this, any decision could shape the course of the tie.

More than just a clássico, this will also be a trial by fire for the refereeing. With controversial episodes in the recent past, the margin for error is zero — and all eyes will be on the referee.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.