Scandal! Porto pushed FPF to drop Fábio Veríssimo from Benfica clash | OneFootball

It is the new scandal in Portuguese football: one of the many messages handed to the authorities, found on the phones of referees already questioned following Duarte Gomes’s complaint, speaks of pressure to remove referee Fábio Veríssimo. The official had been appointed to referee Porto vs Benfica, in the quarter-finals of the Portuguese Cup, played in January.

According to journalist Tânia Laranjo, the Dragons wanted the referee removed from the Clássico due to the ongoing dispute between the two sides. It is worth recalling that Fábio Veríssimo was at the centre of a huge controversy with the structure led by André Villas-Boas during last season’s Porto vs Braga match. According to the report, at half-time, a television that could not be turned off was placed in the refereeing team’s dressing room, showing incidents in which the northern club felt it had been harmed.

According to the same source, . Despite the pressure, Fábio Veríssimo ended up being the one chosen for the match.

Benfica would eventually be knocked out of the premier cup competition. In their trip to Porto’s ground, in the quarter-finals of the 2025/26 Portuguese Cup, José Mourinho’s men went toe to toe with the Dragons, but ultimately lost 1-0, with a goal from Jan Bednarek in the 15th minute.

The new Clássico between the Eagles and the Dragons is scheduled for next Sunday, 20 September. The match, counting for Matchday 7 of the Liga Portugal Betclic, kicks off at 8:30 pm at the Estádio do Dragão. Before that, Benfica host Gil Vicente and travel to Italy to face Milan.

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