Tension on arrival at the Dragão: Sporting players held up | OneFootball

Tense moments marked Sporting’s arrival at the Estádio do Dragão, ahead of the clash with Porto in the Portuguese Cup. The Lions’ players were prevented from accessing the dressing-room corridor by private security staff.

The situation arose when the green-and-white delegation tried to enter through an alternative door, only to find their way blocked by stadium stewards. The incident created some tension and was only resolved with the intervention of the PSP, who cleared the access and allowed the Lions to enter.

According to newspaper A Bola, Sporting had asked delegates from the Portuguese Football Federation for permission to use an entrance closer to the dressing room, thus avoiding contact with Porto fans — something that had already happened on a previous visit to the Dragão in the league. The request was accepted, but it ultimately ran into resistance from the security staff on site.

On Porto’s side, the version is different. The Dragons claim that Sporting tried to use a door that was not intended for them, which led to the deadlock. A source from the blue-and-white club also says that the usual access route had been prepared with a display of the club’s seven international titles as part of the atmosphere created for the match, a route the Lions chose not to use.

With this draw — the eighth in 50 matches this season —, the side coached by book their place in the Portuguese Cup final. Now, Sporting await the outcome of the tie between Torreense and Fafe, who only play on Thursday, 23 April.

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