Rui Borges on penalty: I didn’t see it, not discussing incidents | OneFootball

Sporting secured their passage to the quarter-finals of the Portuguese Cup by defeating Santa Clara 3-2 in the round of 16, in a match decided by a highly dubious penalty awarded in the last minute, when the Azoreans were leading 2-1. The defeat would have meant the elimination of the Lions from the competition, a scenario that was ultimately avoided thanks to the decision of the refereeing team.

The controversial incident occurred in the final moments of the match and immediately sparked protests from Santa Clara's players and fans. In a duel where the contact is, at the very least, debatable, the referee did not hesitate to point to the penalty spot, giving Sporting the chance to equalize and force a comeback during injury time.

The decision proved to be decisive in the outcome of the tie, completely changing the course of the match and eliminating Santa Clara from the Portuguese Cup, at a stage when the Azorean team was just seconds away from securing a historic result.

At the end of the match, Rui Borges, Sporting's coach, was confronted with the decisive incident but chose not to comment on the refereeing decision. “I didn't see it, to be honest, I didn't see any image and I’m not going to talk about incidents from the game,” he stated, avoiding any analysis of the penalty that kept his team in the competition. However, images clearly show that he was watching the incident from the bench.

The coach preferred to focus his remarks on the final result and the overall performance of the team. “It's a victory, value the game on the field,” he added, downplaying the impact of an incident that decisively marked the match.

Rui Borges's stance contrasts with the magnitude of the episode, especially considering the moment it occurred and the direct consequences on the tie. The penalty not only prevented Sporting's elimination from the Portuguese Cup but also reignited the debate around the recurring influence of refereeing decisions in decisive matches.

For Santa Clara, there remains a feeling of injustice and elimination from a competition where they were very close to advancing. For Sporting, the passage is secured but shrouded in controversy, in a game where the football played was overshadowed by an incident that continues to generate discussion.

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