FPF opens case against Varandas after Porto complaint | OneFootball

The Disciplinary Council of the FPF decided to initiate disciplinary proceedings against Frederico Varandas, President of Sporting, following a complaint filed by Porto. The issue concerns the statements made by the Sporting leader after the 4-1 victory against Vitória de Guimarães on December 23, 2025, in a Liga Portugal Betclic match.

It should be recalled that at the time, Varandas harshly targeted rivals Benfica and Porto. He spoke about the criticisms from the eagles and dragons after Sporting's victory at Santa Clara, particularly a penalty that took the Portuguese Cup match to extra time.

“For decades, refereeing was not independent, it had an owner. Porto and Benfica. Decades. With names. Pinto da Costa, Luís Filipe Vieira. I am 46 years old, you are from my generation, and we grew up like this,” stated Frederico Varandas, in a statement that quickly generated reactions.

In another more extensive intervention, the Sporting leader deepened the criticism, comparing the current situation with previous eras and rejecting that occasional errors undermine contemporary refereeing. “They are international referees and what do you say? A poorly marked corner? A poorly judged play by the best Portuguese referee because he was called to the VAR and wrongly? Is this what questions refereeing? But do you remember the refereeing of the 90s, 2000, 2015, and 2017? Then you talk about an unsustainable level? Are they parachutists who just arrived?”

According to information gathered by the newspaper Record, the dragons argue in the complaint that the statements attacked the good name of the bodies that oversee national football and the credibility of its competitions over the last decades, as well as, in particular, against Porto and its former president Pinto da Costa. They also accuse him of manipulating history, with serious allegations and without factual support, fostering the current constant distrust regarding the participants in national football.

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