Pote threw placards onto the pitch at the Dragão in the FC Porto clash | OneFootball

Pedro Gonçalves, known as Pote, was at the center of a controversial moment in the clash between FC Porto and Sporting, in the second leg of the Portuguese Cup semi-finals at the Estádio do Dragão.

Still in the first half, while on the substitutes’ bench, the Sporting player threw cardboard pieces from the stands onto the pitch. The gesture was seen as unsportsmanlike, at a moment when the match was ongoing and could have been disrupted by the presence of those papers on the field.

The incident sparked protests from FC Porto, with complaints made to referee Miguel Nogueira at half-time. Footage of the moment shows Pote picking up the papers and throwing them into the playing area, in behavior that drew criticism for attempting to delay the match.

The episode ended up marking an already tense first half at the Dragão, in a highly intense clash with the refereeing also under scrutiny in several situations, clearly to the detriment of FC Porto. The action of the Portuguese international thus joined the most debated moments of a tie that decided qualification for the Portuguese Cup final.

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