Varandas taunts Villas-Boas: Do this in the Europa League last 16 | OneFootball

The president of Sporting, Frederico Varandas, responded to FC Porto's accusations about an alleged control of refereeing by the lions and also commented on the controversial derby at the Dragão.

«I think you should know that the president of FC Porto belongs to the UEFA Club Competitions Committee. I would like you to ask the president of FC Porto if he suggests, in the elite of football, to steal the balls when you are winning 1-0. Then, take the towel from the goalkeeper. Is this what he proposes? In the UEFA Committee? I would make a suggestion to the president of FC Porto… That he does this now in the Europa League round of 16. You know that here they play with the Disciplinary Council. The Fábio Veríssimo case seems to be over. FC Porto was fined more than 12 thousand euros for what happened. You had access to FC Porto's justification. It was a mere lapse. Lapse why? Because FC Porto analyzes, during the first half, the controversial refereeing decisions and sends them to the coaches. And don't they also evaluate plays from youth games? From a SC Braga-FC Porto youth game… They also analyze youth games. This is the justification of the DC. They lie. I thought there would be the justification of ‘the president didn't know’. But no, there is lying», he said, in statements to journalists.

«What I know is that if I got home, looked at my children, and they knew that Sporting did this, I would die of shame. We are not talking about winning or losing. That is part of life. But what defines us is the way we act in victory and defeat. I have said it before and I will say it again. If these Fábio Veríssimo episodes, stealing towels, telling the ball boys to take the balls, happened at this Sporting, I wouldn't have the ethical dimension to be president of Sporting», he added, when asked if the environment will become even more unsustainable.

«I control Sporting's actions. It is not Sporting that comments on appointments before games, it is not Sporting that has these episodes in a game it organizes… It hurts a lot when things happen and it is very easy to criticize the president. No, because the problem with Portuguese football lies with the leaders. Leadership like this does not help, everyone has glass roofs. Have the courage to name names. We are not all the same and no, we do not do the same»,

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