Paulo Bento says refereeing shift let Sporting win titles | OneFootball

Paulo Bento believes that the introduction of VAR was an important part of Sporting’s sporting resurgence. For the former Lions coach, the introduction of the technology helped the Alvalade club break Benfica and Porto’s supremacy.

"There was one thing that, no matter how much they want to discredit it, brought fairness to football, helped the one that was outside the group, and brought Sporting onto an equal footing with Benfica and Porto: it was VAR, which many people criticize, but it has to be praised. Another thing is not even being able to referee a match properly with television, that is something else entirely. But there is no doubt whatsoever that VAR brought fairness and did good for football," he said at the National Association of Football Coaches Forum, in the Algarve.

The 56-year-old coach - who made a revelation last year - spoke about his departure in 2009. "It was not an immediate change. After 2009, that change was not so clear. There was some instability in the position, unfortunately for the club and for those who were there. Until later there was a turning point: Ruben’s (Amorim) arrival, and before that Hugo Viana. The triangle that was created with the president and stabilized the club. The fact that he won, but in a context that takes nothing away from Sporting’s merit, but was beneficial for the club. The possibility Ruben Amorim had to lose. I was given more chances, and I lost four times", he said.

A week before the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final against Arsenal, Paulo Bento highlighted Sporting’s campaign in the competition. "An extraordinary campaign, there is no other way to put it: there is an initial moment because they are among the top eight, which last year was already well on track, until Ruben left... Now, anything can happen, but I believe that if we say who is the favorite to go through, it is Arsenal. I very much hope it is Sporting, but Arsenal are the favorites," he admitted.

It should be remembered that Sporting will play Arsenal in the Champions League quarter-finals. The first leg is scheduled for April 7 at 8:00 p.m. at Estádio José Alvalade, while the second will be played on the 15th of the same month, at the same time, at the Emirates Stadium.

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