Artur Soares Dias: Otávio among the most annoying players I’ve refereed | OneFootball

Absent from the pitch since August 2024, Artur Soares Dias took part in a SIC podcast where he talked about episodes from his career. Asked about the most difficult players to deal with, the referee from Porto did not hesitate to name names.

“I’ve come across a lot of annoying players. Otávio from FC Porto, for example. Later, in the last match of my career, I ran into him in Saudi Arabia. He saw me in the tunnel and started laughing. I told him right away: ‘Today you’re not going to annoy me.’ And he replied: ‘No, today is your last game, I won’t bother you.’ Pote, Bruno Fernandes, and Otamendi are also always around the referee, complaining, trying to put pressure, pestering,” said the Portuguese official.

On the international stage, Soares Dias highlighted Raheem Sterling for his speed and pointed out Neymar for his tendency to simulate, suggesting changes to the rules: “Sterling was one of the hardest to referee because of his speed, and Neymar because he always has the ball glued to his foot and simulates a lot. A player who simulates, and it’s proven that he did, should get a one-match suspension. Surely, after that, he would take it into account and simulate less often,” he concluded.

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