Arantes Fontes hits out at Farioli, Mourinho over Sporting criticism | OneFootball

On Tuesday, December 23, Tito Arantes Fontes used his opinion column in Jornal Sporting to reflect on the discussion surrounding refereeing, which has generated much controversy following the victory of the lions against Santa Clara in the Portuguese Cup.

In the published text, the former president of Grupo Stromp praised how Frederico Varandas "marked and fundamentally changed the Sporting life" since 2018, when he was elected President of the green and whites, after the "very sad episode of the attack and invasion of Alcochete," recalling how the "main rivals were making, here or there, in a scattered and occasional way, pseudo-pious statements about the club's absence in Portuguese sports."

"All of this has made our adversaries tremble, especially the more powerful ones, such as rivals Benfica and Porto. And it will continue to happen! In other words, they will continue to tremble... they really will (...). The consequence of this trembling is the concerted litany of these two clubs (at the core, it is the reaction of the harmful 'two-tone power' that for years, for at least the last five decades, scandalously dominated national football through various schemes where 'anything goes' prevailed, with an epicenter in shameful phenomena like the famous 'Golden Whistle', 'Mala Ciao', 'Email Case', 'E-Toupeira', among others!)", he began writing.

"Now, this litany has been accentuated lately in a truly pathetic way by these two clubs or people associated with them, who shamelessly display their constant bitterness towards this new life, this new breath, of the lion. The statements and incessant interventions are constant, which, as our people say, are 'so ridiculous they hurt'! Especially because too much of anything, including bitterness, of course... well, it nauseates and – in this case – it really nauseates", he further added.

Tito Arantes Fontes then turned his attention to the coaches of Sporting's rivals, starting with Francesco Farioli: "Let's focus, for example, on the recent intervention of Porto's coach about the duration of a football match... poor guy, he was factually and historically wrong, as not only did the situation he referred to as being from 1958 actually occur in 1959 (the refereeing by Inocêncio Calabote in a Benfica match), but it also wasn't due to the suspension of the game by the referee team."

"Moreover, regarding the duration of a football match, surely no one explained to him about Porto's game at Estádio do Dragão at the beginning of September 2023, against Arouca... there were 23 minutes of 'extra time'! Farioli, listen to me this time, it's really better to watch who you hang out with... and talk to... otherwise, you'll fall into the ridiculous situation of not even knowing what you're saying", wrote the former leader.

Next, it was José Mourinho's turn: "The 'media-savvy and hyped' coach of Benfica, who says 'we are not like the others, who cry, scream, and continue to pressure, we have a different profile'. How? So this Mourinho doesn't read the constant, permanent, and lately almost daily statements from his club? Nor does he hear the numerous public declarations – especially after the monumental bitterness, still very much alive, caused by Sporting's epic victory in the last Portuguese Cup final – from his leader Rui Costa?"

"Nor did he pay attention to the very recent electoral campaign of the club his employer? What a big mess is really going on over there! Everyone says what they want... some say one thing, others the opposite! Well, Mourinho... it's advisable to read and listen, lest you are not aligned with the behaviors of the very club you represent. Get organized, indeed! Otherwise, it will be – as it already is – the perpetuation of bitterness, the continuation of the ridiculous, increasingly in a definitively calimero version", concluded Tito Arantes Fontes.

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