The Disciplinary Council (CD) of the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) this Wednesday exempted FC Porto from responsibility for the energy failures of the video referee (VAR) system observed during the reception to Arouca (1-1), of the I League.
In a statement, the professional section of the disciplinary body emphasizes that “no evidence has been provided” during the investigation that the blue and white team had caused the blackout and that “no malfunction has been detected” in the technological system that supports the referee major.
The VAR support technician, Adriano Costa, was also acquitted of failing to comply with other obligations, but was suspended for 23 days and fined 230 euros for failing to appear for procedures “of which he was periodically notified.”
On September 5, the FPF CD established a process of inquiry into the 14-minute shutdown of the VAR system observed no match between FC Porto and Arouca, in the fourth round of the championship, which took place two days before, at the Estádio do Dragão, in the port.
According to the Federal Arbitration Council (CA), this is a power failure of the video referee between minutes 87 and 90+11, with the respective reserve support exhausted, a version reinforced by Altice, but denied by FC Porto SAD.
The Dragons filed a protest for that match before the federal Justice Council (CJ), with a view to its replay, due to the actions of referee Miguel Nogueira during the annulment of a penalty awarded for a foul on Mehdi Taremi.
Alerted by the video referee (VAR) team to check the images of the play, which took place in the 90+6 minute, when the Arouquenses were winning 1-0, the judge encountered alleged technical difficulties and contacted Rui Oliveira, The VAR, via telephone, of that match, and called the technicians of both teams to convey his final decision.
“This action by Miguel Nogueira constitutes a violation of the rules of the game and a legal error with a potential serious impact on the outcome of the game,” FC Porto stated at the time.
On October 24, the TJ of the FPF judged this protest by the ‘dragons’ to be unfounded and ordered “not to cancel the game and not to repeat it”, ruling out that there had been a “refereeing error” on the part of the main ‘judge’, who “He did not violate the principles of VAR or the rules of the game.”
After that episode, FC Porto had another penalty, which the Portuguese-Brazilian Galeno wasted, at 90+15 minutes, and the Brazilian Evanilson restored equality, at 90+19, after the Spanish Cristo González had advanced to Arouca, at 84.
Source: TSF
