Statement: FC Porto slam Liga Portugal after Arouca v FC Porto postponed | OneFootball

FC Porto vehemently criticized the rescheduling of the match for the 7th round of the Liga Portugal Betclic against Arouca, initially scheduled for September 28.

In a statement, the club blames Liga Portugal, FC Arouca, the Arouca City Council, and the authorities for lack of planning, reminding that the Arouca Harvest Fair and the club's presence in the main tier "are constant and recurring facts" and that such elements should have been anticipated before the draw of the competition.

FC Porto refused to play the match on September 29 (Monday), as it would imply playing three matches in the same week and would shorten the recovery period before the European duel with Red Star and the classic match with SL Benfica. The club proposed October 30 as an alternative, but the League unilaterally rescheduled the game for Monday, at 20:00, a time that, according to the dragons, "is not provided for in the regulations".

The blue and whites also accuse the League of harming Portuguese clubs and the national coefficient in UEFA, mocking the initiative recently presented by the League:

"Seven days after announcing Goal 2028, the League takes away a day of rest from FC Porto before a European match."

The statement emphasizes that these "behind-the-scenes maneuvers" will not divert the team from its competitive path.

Here is the statement in full:

In the 2025/26 season, FC Arouca participates for the ninth time in the main tier. The Arouca Harvest Fair takes place annually in that municipality in September. Despite these two facts being constant and recurring over time, neither Liga Portugal, FC Arouca, CM Arouca, or the prevention and safety authorities were able to predict in time - before the Liga Portugal draw held on July 4 - the impossibility of FC Arouca hosting games on the weekend of the city's festivities.

The current competitive calendar of clubs participating in European competitions means that the management of recovery times between games is crucial for team performance and, more importantly, for managing the physical condition of athletes. The 7th round game of Liga Portugal was scheduled between two international commitments of FC Porto and in the round preceding the classic match between FC Porto and SL Benfica.

Following a dispatch signed by Margarida Belém, president of CM Arouca, Liga Portugal announced that the safety conditions for the game originally scheduled for September 28 at 20:30 were not met, which is why it had to be postponed for reasons of force majeure. The lack of planning in defining the sports calendar and Liga Portugal's inability to find a solution to this episode are indicative of unacceptable unpreparedness, to the detriment of professional clubs and Portugal's coefficient in the UEFA ranking, at a decisive time for the future of Portuguese football and when the much-anticipated overtaking of the Netherlands begins to seem less likely than losing a place to Belgium.

From the outset, FC Porto informed Liga Portugal that it would not be available to collaborate in rescheduling the game for the following day - Monday, September 29 - as such a change would force FC Porto to play three games in the same week - curiously a classic week - and would result in reducing the rest time for the match against Red Star, three days later. Alternatively, FC Porto suggested October 30, a date within the six weeks provided for in paragraph 2 of article 42 of the Competition Regulations for rescheduling the game, the only free week available and that would not directly affect the Club's participation in the Europa League.

FC Arouca never showed willingness to accept the alternative date proposed and Liga Portugal decided, unilaterally, to reschedule the match for Monday, September 29, in disregard of the provision in paragraph b) of paragraph 1 of article 46 of the Competition Regulations which clearly states that scheduling within 30 hours following the initial date does not apply in situations where "one of the clubs involved has to play an official UEFA competition match the following week, in which case the match will take place, or be completed, on a date to be agreed between the clubs or in the absence of agreement, Liga Portugal will decide the date and time of the match". To ensure the scheduling of the match on this date at all costs, Liga Portugal indicated 20:00 as the start time of the match - a time not provided for in the regulations.

On September 10, the president of Liga Portugal, Reinaldo Teixeira, pompously announced the Goal 2028 project, which aims to present "a set of measures that promote the rise to the sixth place in the UEFA ranking". Seven days later, Reinaldo Teixeira and the respective Executive Board made the political decision to take away a day of rest from FC Porto before a European match. Although only Reinaldo Teixeira can clarify the motivations that led him to make this decision, perhaps the concerns expressed by FC Porto during the League's electoral period help to understand this stance.

After yet another sad episode that shames Portuguese football, we will wait for the next opinion articles from the League's executive directors to dive back into the imaginary world of a differentiated, professional, international, and sellable League.

All these maneuvers and behind-the-scenes interests will not divert FC Porto and its football team from the path outlined.

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