FC Porto fined after Benfica complaint of ‘discriminatory treatment’ | OneFootball

FC Porto was fined €3,060 by the Portuguese Football Federation following a breach of organizational and safety duties during the clássico against Benfica in the Portuguese Cup quarter-finals, played on January 14.

The penalty stems from a formal complaint filed by Benfica’s SAD, which accused the blue and whites of giving Benfica supporters “discriminatory treatment” and “inhumane and degrading” treatment.

At issue was the security operation that kept hundreds of Benfica fans held on the stairways of the Estádio do Dragão for around two hours, causing many to miss the first 45 minutes of the match. In addition to the delay, the requirement that fans remove their shoes outside the stadium, on wet ground, to be searched also sparked major outrage.

In the proceedings, Porto’s defense shifted the blame, arguing that Benfica fans arrived late at the meeting point and caused disruption on the stairs.

As for the order to remove shoes, FC Porto justified it as a “proportionate” requirement recommended by the PSP, given the history of pyrotechnic devices being used in that stand, arguing that safety should take precedence over quick entry.

The dragons’ version did not convince the Disciplinary Council (CD). The ruling, approved unanimously, sharply criticizes the logistics put in place by the home club.

Although it acknowledged that searching shoes was legitimate given the security risk, the CD stresses that FC Porto clearly failed to ensure even minimum comfort for spectators.

The body also concluded that the stadium stewards controlled entry “at a trickle,” leaving turnstiles and search points unused while the crowd waited on the stairs. The FPF concluded that Porto acted with “conscious negligence” by disregarding warnings from the authorities to speed up the process, increasing the fine due to the club’s record of repeat organizational failings this season.

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