Duarte Gomes insists referees have not changed criteria after Benfica criticism | OneFootball

Duarte Gomes has sought to calm the latest row over Portuguese officiating, saying referees have not changed their criteria during the season. According to Glorioso 1904, the former referee, now working within the FPF, addressed the debate after strong criticism from Benfica.

The weekend’s matches brought flashpoints. At Alvalade, Sporting’s meeting with Santa Clara saw an Azoreans goal disallowed for an alleged foul. At the Dragão, a penalty for Famalicão and the resulting red card for Porto defender Zaidu were not awarded.

Gomes said match officials do not switch standards mid‑campaign and that recent controversies have not altered their approach.

He stressed that guidance given to referees was not provisional and had not been rewritten, adding it was not reshaped by media cycles or by the convenience of those who assess play using different assumptions.

Gomes added that elite Portuguese refereeing operates in line with best practice, set each year by the bodies that govern the game, under a shared and robust technical framework.

Source: Glorioso 1904