FPF backs Villas-Boas, Sporting’s complaint dropped | OneFootball

The Disciplinary Council of the Portuguese Football Federation has dismissed Sporting’s complaint against André Villas-Boas, regarding the recent episode in which the Porto President appeared to call the presidents of Alvalade’s club and Benfica “calimero.”

The competent authorities deemed the accusation brought by Sporting “completely unfounded.” As such, the FPF Disciplinary Council decided to acquit André Villas-Boas “of committing any disciplinary offense” related to “damaging the honor and reputation of the sports structure’s bodies and their members.”

At issue, it should be recalled, are the words of André Villas-Boas at the ‘Portugal Football Globes’, where the Porto President said the following: “the absence of one of the best Portuguese VARs, Tiago Martins, who has been widely criticized by the presidents of Sporting and Benfica and is kept away from the classics (...) the pressure exerted by the rival presidents has a direct impact on appointments (...) We are all eager to see who will be awarded the ‘Calimero of the Year’ prize today. There is no shortage of candidates…”

According to information accessed by the newspaper Record, Villas-Boas’ defense reportedly presented the following arguments: “The expressions he used fall within the legitimate exercise of freedom of expression, in an institutional context and public debate about football, containing no attribution of false, dishonorable, or offensive facts to the honor of referees or sports agents.”

The President of Porto also attacked Sporting’s complaint, explaining that it violates “the principle of equality and consistency in decision-making,” showing that, in substantially identical cases—including, in his view, much more serious statements made by officials of other clubs—no disciplinary proceedings were initiated nor sanctions applied.”

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