FC Porto host Benfica in the Cup on 14 January, no changes allowed | OneFootball

FC Porto insists that the Portuguese Cup classic against Benfica, at Estádio do Dragão, should take place on the scheduled date: January 14, with the time to be set by RTP.

Rumors are circulating that the Eagles want to postpone the match to February, citing fixture congestion due to the League Cup and the Champions League.

FC Porto, however, refuses to agree to any such arrangement.

Firstly, because the League has informed all parties in writing, with the FPF’s knowledge, that the match between the winner of FC Porto–Famalicão and the winner of Farense–Benfica would be played on January 14, with only the time to be set by the television broadcaster. Secondly, because the Dragons may still have to play the Europa League play-off on February 19 and 26.

The only exception foreseen and communicated by the League, according to the FPF, would be if both FC Porto and Benfica did not qualify for the 6th round; in that case, the match between Farense and Famalicão would take place on January 11 or 12.

In the background is the recent controversy in the League’s Calendar Committee, where FC Porto felt disadvantaged by the alignment between Benfica and Sporting. In that meeting, the Eagles even threatened to unilaterally schedule their home games on BTV if they were not allowed to play Sp. Braga on Sunday, the 28th.

In a tense atmosphere, the Dragons saw their proposals to play Alverca on the 23rd and AVS on the 28th rejected by vote, calendars that would have caused fixture congestion and prevented the squad from enjoying the Christmas gathering. Only a later rescheduling set FC Porto’s home game against AVS for December 29, with the trip to Ribatejo to face Alverca remaining on the calendar for next Monday, the 22nd.

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