It’s decided: Cláudio Pereira to referee Sporting v FC Porto | OneFootball

The Arbitration Council of the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) announced, through its official platforms, late Monday morning, that Cláudio Pereira was chosen to referee the first leg of the Portuguese Cup semi-finals between Sporting and FC Porto.

The referee, affiliated with the Aveiro Football Association, will lead a team consisting of assistants Tiago Costa and Sérgio Jesus, fourth official Hélder Malheiro, VAR Manuel Oliveira, and AVAR Nuno Eiras, in an always 'heated' Classic that begins at 8:45 PM (Portugal Mainland time) on Tuesday, at Estádio José Alvalade.

The second leg is scheduled for the end of April, and the winner of this clash will face Torreense or Fafe – teams from the second and third tiers – following the 1-1 draw recorded in their first encounter at the Estádio Municipal de Fafe.

This will be the 13th time Cláudio Pereira officiates Sporting matches and the ninth with FC Porto involved. Under his refereeing, the lions have recorded ten wins, one draw, and one loss, while the dragons have won all the matches he has been present at.

In the 2025/26 season, the 39-year-old referee has already been on the field with each of the rivals: he officiated the 1-1 draw between Sporting and Sporting de Braga at Estádio José Alvalade on October 5, and FC Porto's 0-1 victory over Santa Clara at Estádio de São Miguel on January 4.

Moreover, this will be the first occasion in his career that he will participate in a duel that pits two of the so-called three 'big' teams of Portuguese football against each other.

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