João Malheiro slams Varandas, recalls Benfica robbed vs Sporting | OneFootball

João Malheiro reacted to Frederico Varandas' statements at the Rugidos de Leão gala, accusing the Sporting president of lacking coherence and trying to control the narrative surrounding the controversial incident between Matheus Reis and Andrea Belotti in the final of the Portuguese Cup, which harmed Clube da Luz.

On the Liga D’Ouro program, the former communications director of Benfica recalled past episodes and argued that Sporting only acts with indignation when it suits them. The commentator began by recalling Sporting's historical stance in situations where they felt wronged, evoking the 2009 League Cup final.

“I often heard the words demagogy and hypocrisy from Frederico Varandas. In this matter of the Cup final, I find it astonishing. If it were the other way around, what would Sporting do? Would they stay silent?” he stated, emphasizing that the lions spent years contesting the famous decision by Lucílio Batista.

“In March 2009, Benfica won a League Cup that was impacted by a bad decision by Lucílio Batista. It was 1-0 for Sporting, Benfica equalized with a penalty that wasn't and won in penalties. We spent years talking about the Lucílio Batista Cup. I find this astonishing,” he mentioned, before recalling last season's Portuguese Cup final.

“Matheus Reis was prevented from speaking. When it was easy to say ‘I made a mistake’. Is the president a beacon of morality when he doesn't allow the player to speak?” he questioned. The commentator further reinforced that Sporting has no moral ground to accuse other clubs of ethical behavior when, in the past, they adopted similar stances of contestation: “Is he the president of a club that spent consecutive years talking about the Lucílio Batista Cup? They even mocked the stomp on the head,” he noted.

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