Sporting v Tondela date pending, could stir league controversy | OneFootball

Sporting will not have a league match between the two legs of the Champions League round of 16 tie against Bodø/Glimt, after the 26th round match of the Primeira Liga against Tondela was postponed. However, the new date for the match has not yet been set, and this is starting to cause a stir.

The decision to postpone the game is mainly due to the tight schedule of Rui Borges' team. Sporting plays the first leg in Norway on Wednesday (03/11) and hosts the Norwegians in the second leg the following Tuesday (03/17) at Alvalade, at 5:45 PM. Considering the long trip to the Arctic Circle and the need to comply with the minimum 72-hour rest period stipulated in the regulations, it became practically impossible to fit the league match into the intermediate weekend.

The problem is finding a new date in the calendar. At the end of March, there is a break for national team commitments, and if Sporting continues in the Champions League, they will also have the quarter-finals (April 7 or 8 and 14 or 15) and potential semi-finals (April 28 or 29 and May 5 or 6). The only seemingly free week would be between April 20 and 24, but even then, the Lions have the second leg of the Portuguese Cup semi-finals against Porto scheduled.

If Sporting extends their European campaign, the match with Tondela might end up being pushed to May, possibly between the penultimate and the last round of the league. This scenario could generate protests from other clubs, as by then the standings could undergo significant changes.

The league competition regulations state, in Article 42, that after the start of the second half of the season, postponed matches must be played in the same week or, if not possible due to national or international commitments, within a maximum of two weeks. There is also a possibility of an extension up to four weeks, subject to the agreement of the clubs and the favorable opinion of the Permanent Calendar Commission - provided that it does not involve a match from the last six rounds.

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