Manteigas warned Costa over Duarte Gomes, Benfica chief not interested | OneFootball

The controversy surrounding national refereeing has gained momentum again following new revelations linked to Duarte Gomes's departure from the FPF, with the case now also being examined by the Public Prosecutor's Office. In this context, João Diogo Manteigas recalled the usefulness of Benfica's General Assemblies in drawing attention to the issue.

"The usefulness of this annual Assembly in the Benfica universe is proven by the news published today, which further develops what lay behind Duarte Gomes's resignation from the position of national technical director of refereeing. Sport Lisboa e Benfica's board was warned and informed in advance by the members (in this case, by myself personally) about this specific situation. It was suggested that the SAD's general director should focus entirely on refereeing this season, based on yet another episode that does not dignify the sector", he wrote on LinkedIn.

Regarding the moment of the General Assembly and the alleged causes of Duarte Gomes's departure, Manteigas made more direct criticisms of the handling of the process and the involvement of figures from Portuguese football. The lawyer also referred to the role of several federation officials, stating "that Mário Branco should be helped to define his role". "If you don't know, ask Pedro Proença directly, whom you supported against the will of the majority of Benfica members. I'll give you a clue: Hélder Malheiro, Pedro Garcia and Luciano Gonçalves. Now, do your job and apply pressure", he said at the General Assembly.

Four days after his intervention, the lawyer once again focused his remarks on the club's leadership and the choices made in previous electoral processes at the FPF. In that context, he pointed the finger at Rui Costa: "At various Club General Assemblies in recent years, the President of Sport Lisboa e Benfica was warned countless times not to support, nor vote for, what is today the current board of the Portuguese Football Federation".

The lawyer concluded that the Club's current course had gone against the position of its members, while also issuing a warning about the future of its institutional management. In that regard, he stated: "he went 'against the flow' against the will of his fellow members", "he voted alone 'for Pedro Proença's project' and became his accomplice". There is still time for him to listen to us and shield our glorious Institution", he concluded.

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