Rui Costa calls for punishment over Fábio Veríssimo, targets Porto | OneFootball

Upon arriving in Leiria for a dinner with Benfica supporters, Rui Costa stated that FC Porto should be sanctioned following the alleged pressure on Fábio Veríssimo during the match against Sp. Braga. “We will investigate everything and wait for what comes next. Obviously, we expect some punishment for what happened in the FC Porto game. It is not normal, it is not explainable for such a situation to occur, but we will wait,” emphasized the Eagles' official, adding: “We took a stand in a statement and I will not shy away from it. Benfica expects a swift response from the entities that need to speak out at this moment because this is something that cannot happen in Portuguese football. Such a situation cannot happen in a game, it is too serious!”

The president and candidate for re-election to the club's leadership also said he was surprised by the statement published by FC Porto this Tuesday following the incident. “It is quite surprising. To see such an extensive statement, with seven paragraphs if I'm not mistaken, where the main issue is not addressed. It's almost diverting attention from what happened and there is no acknowledgment of what occurred. They have no way to do so because it is too evident,” he stated.

Regarding the game this Wednesday against Bayer Leverkusen, Rui Costa expressed confidence in the outcome. “We are heading into the 4th round, we have 3 defeats at the moment, but we have not abandoned the competition. Tomorrow we have an important game where we need to give a good response. The Luz will be full and will push the team towards victory,” he said.

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