It’s decided: Cláudio Pereira to referee Sporting v FC Porto | OneFootball

The Arbitration Council of the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) announced, through its official platforms, late Monday morning, that Cláudio Pereira has been chosen to referee the first leg of the Portuguese Cup semi-finals between Sporting and FC Porto.

The referee, affiliated with the Aveiro Football Association, will lead a team consisting of assistants Tiago Costa and Sérgio Jesus, fourth official Hélder Malheiro, VAR Manuel Oliveira, and AVAR Nuno Eiras, in what is always a ‘heated’ Clássico that kicks off at 8:45 p.m. (mainland Portugal time) on Tuesday, at the Estádio José Alvalade.

The second leg is scheduled for the end of April, and the winner of this clash will face Torreense or Fafe—teams from the second and third divisions—after a one-all draw in their first encounter at the Estádio Municipal de Fafe.

This will be the 13th time Cláudio Pereira referees a Sporting match and the ninth with FC Porto involved. Under his officiating, the Lions have recorded ten wins, one draw, and one loss, while the Dragons have won every match in which he was present.

In the 2025/26 season, the 39-year-old referee has already been on the field with each of the rivals: he officiated the 1-1 draw between Sporting and Sporting de Braga at the Estádio José Alvalade on October 5, and FC Porto’s 1-0 win over Santa Clara at the Estádio de São Miguel on January 4.

Furthermore, this will be the first time in his career that he will take part in a duel between two of the so-called ‘big three’ of Portuguese football.

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