Fernando Mendes attacks FC Porto: “This is disgusting… it'll end badly” | OneFootball

The classic clash between Sporting and FC Porto, in the final stage of the Placard Handball Championship 1, was marked by an unusual incident even before the opening whistle. A strong smell detected in the Lions’ dressing room required the presence of firefighters and ended up sending coach Ricardo Costa and player Christian Moga to the hospital, while also causing discomfort to other members of the team.

Despite the seriousness of the reports, FC Porto publicly denied that any incident had taken place, a position later reinforced by Mário Santos, general director of sports, who downplayed the situation and also aimed criticism at athlete Martim Costa.

Faced with the contradictory versions, the Portuguese Handball Federation launched disciplinary proceedings to determine responsibility.

“Go wearing masks”: Fernando Mendes recalls a similar episode

Fernando Mendes, former Portugal international, reacted with outrage to what happened and assured that cases of this kind are not unprecedented. “The advice I give Sporting’s players is that next time they should go wearing masks,” he said, before recalling an episode he experienced while playing for Benfica in the late 1980s.

“Back in 1988 or 1989, the same thing happened. We had to get changed in the corridor,” he said, while recalling a memorable game from that time. For the commentator, this type of situation is becoming increasingly common: “This is starting to become routine.”

The former footballer did not spare criticism of the Dragons’ official position, mocking the club’s denial. “But apparently, it’s all a lie, according to FC Porto’s statement. It was a slip-up, they made a mistake… It’s all a lie,” he said, in a clearly sarcastic tone.

“Someone has to put a stop to this”

In an increasingly harsh statement, Fernando Mendes questioned the version presented by Porto’s officials and criticized the fact that the alleged inspection of the dressing room had been carried out by the club’s own staff. “There are players there, there’s a coach who collapsed, there are firefighters… but who went there? The club’s employees. And they said everything was fine. That’s curious, isn’t it?” he pointed out.

The commentator went even further in his criticism, calling the situation “disgusting” and warning of possible consequences in the future. “This is going to end badly. It happens in several places, but here it’s becoming recurrent. People turn a blind eye and nothing happens,” he lamented.

Fernando Mendes also implied the need for firmer intervention by the relevant authorities: “Someone has to put a stop to this.”

Meanwhile, on the court, Sporting ended up winning the match 33-30, but the sporting result was clearly overshadowed by a controversy that promises to remain a major talking point in the coming days.

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