Referee’s Mobile Phone Usage Causes Controversy in Porto’s Match Against Arouca

Porto today requested the cancellation of its match against Arouca last Sunday (1-1) because the referee consulted the VAR by mobile phone due to a power outage, a surreal moment that unleashed a storm in Portuguese football.

In a post on its website, Porto stated that it had filed a protest to have its matchday four match of the League canceled due to a “serious violation of the rules of the game and an error of law” by the referee at make a decision without consulting the pictures.

The play in question was an alleged foul suffered in the area by the Iranian Mehdi Taremi around the 90th minute. Initially, the referee Miguel Nogueira awarded a penalty in favor of Porto, then at a disadvantage, but decided to review the play in the VAR.

However, a power supply problem prevented Nogueira from analyzing the images and, after a long wait, he used a mobile phone to communicate directly with those responsible for video arbitration and reversed his decision.

In its statement, Porto opposed the penalty being “reversed following a phone call from the video referee, without any image being seen.”

“In other words, the penalty was awarded based on what Miguel Nogueira saw and annulled based on what he did not see,” wrote the blue and white team.

For its part, the Arbitration Council of the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) today issued a statement explaining what happened and assured that the “only electrical outlet available in the inspection area of ​​the stadium had no current.”

In view of this, the reserve system was used, which, however, “sold out”.

For its part, the Portuguese League reported, in another statement, that it has asked the Portuguese Federation to initiate an investigation to find out why the VAR failed “so that responsibilities for what happened are cleared up.”

“A BLIND CHAOS”

Today the issue dominates the front pages of both sports and general newspapers.

“Blind chaos”, headlines O Jogo, while the Jornal de Notícias writes “Penalty annulled by mobile”, both with the same image of the referee Miguel Nogueira on the phone in contact with the VAR.

Before chaos broke out, Arouca took the lead thanks to a goal from Spaniard Cristo González in minute 83.

After the long break around 90′, the referee decided to give 17 minutes of added time, enough for other controversial plays.

On the 15th of those 17, Nogueira signaled a penalty in favor of Porto, this time without energy failure, but Galeno’s shot was saved by the Uruguayan De Arruabarrena.

The tie came at 90+19′ through Evanilson, but it was not without controversy either, thanks to the irregular position of the Spanish Fran Navarro, who was initially considered the author of the goal, but the referee estimated that the Valencian had not interfered in the play and validated the match of the “dragons”.

After 22 minutes of injury time, the final whistle came.

BENFICA DEMANDS TRANSPARENCY

Benfica, Porto’s greatest rival, was the first to react and, in a text shared on its website, stated that “it is absolutely urgent to refine the criteria and guarantee transparency.”

“It is necessary that the reasons for the 17 minutes of added time in the Porto-Arouca match be clearly and objectively stated. And it must also be explained what other justifications there are for allowing the match to continue until 22 minutes of extra time beyond 90″, the Portuguese champions pointed out.

According to Benfica, “the equalizing goal not only occurs once the regulation time has elapsed, but the doubts about the position of the striker who scored it have not been cleared up”, alluding to Navarro.

2023-09-04 20:55:50
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