Rui Borges on penalty: I didn’t see it, won’t discuss incidents | OneFootball

Sporting secured their place in 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 questionable penalty awarded in the very last minute, when the Azorean team was leading 2-1. The defeat would have meant Sporting’s elimination from the competition, a scenario that was ultimately avoided thanks to the refereeing team’s decision.

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 was, 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 stoppage time.

The decision ended up being decisive for the outcome of the tie, completely changing the course of the match and knocking Santa Clara out of the Portuguese Cup, at a time 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 about the decisive incident but chose not to comment on the referee’s decision. “I didn’t see it, to be honest, I didn’t see any footage and I’m not going to talk about incidents from the game,” he said, distancing himself from any analysis of the penalty that kept his team in the competition. However, the footage clearly shows that he was watching the incident from the bench.

The coach preferred to focus his comments on the final result and the overall performance of the team. “It’s a win, let’s value what happened on the pitch,” he added, downplaying the impact of an incident that ended up decisively marking the match.

Rui Borges’ stance contrasts with the magnitude of the episode, especially considering the timing and the direct consequences for the tie. The penalty not only prevented Sporting’s elimination from the Portuguese Cup, but also reignited the debate about the recurring influence of refereeing decisions in decisive matches.

For Santa Clara, there remains a feeling of injustice and the elimination from a competition in which they came very close to advancing. For Sporting, qualification is secured, but shrouded in controversy, in a match where the football itself ended up taking a back seat to an incident that continues to fuel discussion.

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