Benfica furious at Gustavo Correia pick for Famalicão clash, find out why | OneFootball

Benfica reacted with displeasure to the appointment of Gustavo Correia to officiate the match against Famalicão, scheduled for next Saturday. The choice of referee comes at a decisive stage of the season, with the Eagles focused on securing second place and the resulting qualification for the Champions League.

Meanwhile, Gustavo Correia was the referee of the controversial draw against Casa Pia (2-2).

The appointment is seen by Club officials as a provocation, especially given the importance of the clash in Minho. At a time when Benfica depend only on themselves to guarantee second place, the referee’s appointment was not well received at the Luz. The controversy dates back to the match against Casa Pia, where a penalty was awarded for an alleged handball by António Silva, in a move in which the ball had reportedly first deflected off the Benfica centre-back’s leg. The decision drew harsh criticism from both José Mourinho and Rui Costa, who questioned the performance of the refereeing team and VAR.

Mário Branco, the Eagles’ sporting director, was also involved in a tense moment at the end of that same match, behaviour that would ultimately result in a heavy sanction. The episode helped worsen the unease between Benfica and the refereeing team involved.

It should also be noted that the red-and-white side’s next match will be against Famalicão. The game is scheduled for this Saturday, 2 May, as part of the 32nd round of the Liga Portugal Betclic. Kick-off is set for 6:00 pm, and it will take place at the Estádio Municipal 22 de Junho, in Vila Nova de Famalicão.

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