Vítor Pinto says FC Porto slipped up by showing footage to Fábio Veríssimo

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·5 novembre 2025

Vítor Pinto says FC Porto slipped up by showing footage to Fábio Veríssimo

Sports journalist and commentator Vítor Pinto described the incident between Futebol Clube do Porto and referee Fábio Veríssimo as “simply unjustified” and stated that the Porto club “made a mistake by injecting footage into the internal television circuit during halftime.”

“If FC Porto had something to say or any issue with Fábio Veríssimo since September 29, they should have resolved it through other channels. If there were complaints about matches like Sporting–Alverca or Vitória de Guimarães–Benfica, they should have formally requested a meeting with the president of the Refereeing Council, Luciano Gonçalves,” said Vítor Pinto.

The commentator emphasized that the decision to show the footage at halftime “was serious” and “could have unsettled the referee,” adding that, according to the available information, Fábio Veríssimo did not feel influenced at that moment.

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“The referees analyzed the incident and concluded that they had made the right decision. The problem arose at the end, when they realized that the footage shown referred to the transnational Pontinha tournament, which was already circulating on social media,” he explained.

Vítor Pinto recalled that FC Porto claims to play an active role in upholding refereeing standards and accuses other clubs of trying to influence referees – a situation that, in his view, makes this episode particularly serious.

“FC Porto, which claims to fight for ethics and accuses Benfica and Sporting of pressuring referees, cannot make this kind of mistake. They cannot trample on the ethics they claim to defend,” he stressed.

The journalist added that, with this case, André Villas-Boas is no longer in a ‘honeymoon period’:

“From now on, Villas-Boas will be at the center of criticism. FC Porto will have to face the consequences and, very likely, will not escape disciplinary proceedings.”

According to Vítor Pinto, the case should fall under Article 127 of the Disciplinary Regulations of the Portuguese Professional Football League, which provides for a fine of up to 5,100 euros.

“Based on what is known so far, there is no evidence to suggest a more serious offense, such as disqualification or administrative defeat. Everything points to the application of Article 127, which only provides for a financial penalty,” he concluded.

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