Porto slam Sporting, Benfica: Ref blunders aided rivals v Famalicão | OneFootball

After the VAR annulled Famalicão's goal at Alvalade, FC Porto directed harsh criticism at Sporting, also sparing no words for coach Rui Borges and president Frederico Varandas. In the Dragões Diário newsletter, the club accuses the Segunda Circular rival of controlling the arbitration universe.

«After another round of the championship, FC Porto remains ahead of an opponent prohibited by decree from losing points. The team most favored by the unfortunate errors of the referees was once again carried on their shoulders against FC Famalicão – once again harmed against Sporting, after the forgiven expulsion of Gonçalo Inácio in the first leg. Unlike what happened in the Azores, when Rui Borges, still stuck in the past century, didn’t know how to work with new technologies, this time the Sporting coach learned quickly and resorted to the tablet placed in front of his eyes to review the images and defend the existence of a ‘clear foul’ on Maxi Araújo. On the eve of the match between Sporting and FC Famalicão, the Technical Director of National Arbitration had shared a statement from the president of the UEFA Referees Committee on his social media. Roberto Rosetti’s intervention is clear: ‘I think we forgot the reason why VAR was introduced. Eight years ago I went to London to discuss the meaning of VAR and we talked about clear and obvious errors. Technology works very well in factual decisions. In interpretations, subjective assessment is more difficult (…) We cannot continue on this path of microscopic VAR interventions. When you are watching a play in super slow motion, you always find something.’ It might seem like a joke, but it isn’t»

«It seems that someone commands the arbitration in Portugal and clearly it’s not their leaders, in a sports season marked by unfortunate cases always in favor of the same ones. The only reason for a VAR intervention in the clean goal of FC Famalicão might be related to a famous fall in the area by Morten Hjulmand, after feeling a finger touch on his face, to win a penalty in the Azores. From there, Portuguese football established the standard for VAR interventions and, thus, the day before yesterday a foul was called before the clean goal of FC Famalicão. In light of this, it seems almost absurd to note a case that went unnoticed by VAR last week. In yet another unfortunate incident favoring the same ones, a Sporting player violently kicked an athlete’s head. No, we’re not talking about Matheus Reis, the ball boy intimidator, we’re talking about another one. From the simulation in the Azores to the aggression against the AFS player, it is shocking the impunity enjoyed weekly in front of referees to vehemently discuss any and every play»

«If it weren’t for FC Porto’s intervention, the Disciplinary Council was preparing to turn a blind eye to the incident in question. In truth, the images seem to mysteriously disappear, including those from the revolutionary referee bodycams – the emblem of transparency, according to the President of the Referees Council. Meanwhile, the usual acquittals of Frederico Varandas continue, an unaccountable figure in the eyes of the Disciplinary Council (and any court), after mistreating the President of the Portuguese Football Federation as a minor figure in arbitration at the service of other presidents in the past. In this specific case, it seems that crime pays, because from mapping the club colors of the FPF’s social bodies, to placing pawns in the Non-Permanent Arbitration Commissions and accumulating rhetoric about arbitration, the truth is that since the famous statement after the game in Guimarães, Sporting accumulates incidents that will surely be on the list of errors not to be made, so that in the future arbitration will be better. None of this is surprising, just as the complicit silence on the other side of the Segunda Circular – which clamors for even more penalties – in this Holy Alliance that aims to try to bring down FC Porto in every way. FC Porto remains focused and united and, in a traditionally difficult field, achieved its 19th victory in 22 rounds with a precise header from Jan Bednarek after a cross from Gabri Veiga. The club's fan base traveled in force to Madeira, on a day of great emotion for the entire Porto family, and celebrated the victory in memory of Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa on the day marking the first anniversary of his passing. Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa left us many lessons and many warnings for the challenges ahead. On and off the field.»

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