Benfica flop in hot water with the Federation | OneFootball

The final minutes of Saturday's derby between Chelsea and West Ham (3-2), were marked by a general confusion between both teams, which began with a big shove from the imposing Adama Traoré to Marc Cucurella. João Pedro came to the defense of his "blues" teammate and ended up being targeted with violence by the former Benfica player Jean-Clair Todibo, who grabbed him by the neck, with the French defender of the "hammers" being sent off.

Consequently, the English Football Association (FA) filed formal charges against the two clubs and launched an investigation into the players from both teams who were involved in the altercation during the match, which was part of the 24th round of the Premier League.

More specifically, Chelsea and West Ham were accused of improper and provocative conduct, having until this Friday to submit written explanations about the incident, which will later be considered in determining the sanctions for the two teams.

In a social media post, the former Benfica center-back issued an apology. "Under the tension and intensity of the game, I made an inappropriate gesture, contrary to the values of football. I fully acknowledge my mistake, without excuses or justifications, and take full responsibility," he began writing.

"This behavior does not reflect the person I am. I offer my sincere apologies to my club, my teammates, our fans, and to all the people this gesture may have affected," completed the player of Nuno Espírito Santo.

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