Ex-Benfica chief slams Varandas, calls Sporting boss a hypocrite | OneFootball

João Malheiro, former communication director of Benfica, reacted to Frederico Varandas' statements at the Gala Rugidos de Leão, accusing the President of Sporting of hypocrisy and trying to control the narrative around the controversial incident between Matheus Reis and Andrea Belotti in the Portuguese Cup final.

On the Liga D’Ouro program, the commentator recalled past episodes and argued that Sporting only acts with indignation when it suits them and recalled the stance of the lions in situations where they felt wronged, evoking the 2009 League Cup final to accuse Varandas of inconsistency.

“I often heard the words demagogy and hypocrisy from Frederico Varandas' mouth. On this issue of the Cup final, I find it astonishing. If it were the other way around, what would Sporting do? Would they stay silent?” he stated, emphasizing that the lions spent years contesting the famous decision of Lucílio Batista.

“In March 2009, Benfica won a League Cup where a bad decision by Lucílio Batista had an impact. It was 1-0 for Sporting, Benfica equalized with a penalty that wasn't and won in penalties. We spent years talking about the Lucílio Batista Cup. I find this astonishing”.

“They even mocked the stomp on the head,” he concluded.

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