A protest banner was hung in front of Cidade do Futebol, following the meeting between Santa Clara and Sporting, which dictated the lions’ qualification for the quarter-finals of the Portuguese Cup.
The message «12+VARgonha» could be read on the strip, in a direct allusion to the time for analyzing the move that led to the penalty in favor of Sporting, already in the second-half compensation period. Although 12 minutes were officially appointed, the decision ended up being taken after around 14 minutes of VAR intervention, a fact that generated strong opposition.
Following that game, Santa Clara requested several formal clarifications about the arbitration, expressing its displeasure with the decision taken in the final moments of the match.
However, the Portuguese Football Federation’s national technical director of arbitration, Duarte Gomes, publicly criticized the VAR’s performance, considering the analysis time excessive and detrimental to the credibility of the process. Following the controversy, the video referee involved in the play asked to be released from appointment for the next League game, a decision that was accepted.
The episode continues to fuel the debate around refereeing in Portugal, at a stage of the season marked by successive controversies involving VAR decisions.
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