Spanish press: “Refereeing scandal in Portugal” | OneFootball

The Public Prosecutor’s investigation into alleged interference in Portuguese refereeing was also reported in the Spanish press. Under the headline “Scandal in refereeing in Portugal”, Mundo Deportivo reports on the case:

“Portugal’s Public Prosecutor’s Office is investigating alleged crimes of corruption and influence peddling related to the process of appointing referees in Portuguese football, in a case that is at a preliminary stage and in which, so far, there are no charges or defendants. The Public Prosecutor’s Office confirmed the opening of an investigation at the Central Department of Investigation and Criminal Action (DCIAP) based on a complaint and carried out with the support of the National Anti-Corruption Unit of the Judicial Police. (…) the investigations focus on alleged interference in the process of appointing referees for matches in the final stretch of the 2025-2026 Portuguese League. (…) Among the episodes under investigation are the referee appointments for two Estrela da Amadora matches in the final days of the championship.”

The Spanish daily also mentions the names cited by the authorities and highlights André Villas-Boas’s position regarding the case:

“The documentation sent to the Judicial Police mentions, among others, referee Hélder Malheiro and the president of the Refereeing Council of the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF), Luciano Gonçalves, although the authorities have not brought any charges against them. The case originated with the resignation, at the end of June, of Duarte Gomes as national technical director of refereeing. (…) Porto president André Villas-Boas called for the temporary suspension of Luciano Gonçalves as head of the Refereeing Council until the facts are clarified, considering that the measure would help protect both the institution and the leader himself”.

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