“For me, [o processo] it is nothing and it is not surprising, not least because we must not forget that the president of Benfica was Luís Filipe Vieira’s dauphin. I have known him since that time under Vieira, who always presented him as his dauphin and successor, and he maintains a certain school that also dates from that time at Benfica. It is natural for anyone to follow his master.”, he threw at journalists, on the sidelines of the extension ceremony of defender and captain Pepe, who extended his contract for another season, until June 2024.
Benfica announced on Friday that it had participated in the Disciplinary Board (CD) of the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF), insisting that the statements made two days earlier by the Porto leader “are intended to condition the referees” until the end of the FirstLeague. .
In the usual editorial of the magazine ‘Dragões’, Pinto da Costa showed faith in the reconfirmation of the title, “provided that the sporting truth prevails in all matches, which has not always happened this year”, at a time when FC Porto in the second tier, with 70 points, one behind leader Benfica, who today host Estoril Praia, in a 29th round duel.
“I returned quite naturally and without any fear of punishment to writing the same editorial. I repeat: whoever has a school that led him in a certain way is the one who can find that offensive. It has no additional meaning, because [Rui Costa] he was never my colleague as a player. When I played on Infesta, it didn’t exist yet. He was a different level player, but I was more in touch when I was Dauphin and heir to Vieira’s legacy. I’m not surprised at all”, added the chairman of the ‘dragons’ today.
On Thursday, the CD of the FPF confirmed that it had opened disciplinary proceedings against the SAD of FC Porto, the manager Vítor Baia and the coach Sérgio Conceição, taking into account the participations presented by Benfica and the Federal Arbitration Board (CA).
On April 14, while awaiting the reception of FC Porto at the red lantern Santa Clara, in the 28th round of the championship, which the “blue and whites” won 2-1, Sérgio Conceição had said that “there are no two weights can be and two measures” by the refereeing teams in matches with the top two seeded in the competition.
Vítor Baía, former football player and current administrator of SAD and vice president of the ‘blue and white’, asked that same day that “mistakes affecting results should not be repeated”.
“Of course there are always mistakes and what I say in the editorial is to hope there are no mistakes that affect the results, like this year and everyone knows. I didn’t say mistakes were made on purpose, nor mistakes as a result of dishonesty. mistakes, because to err is human. Now you know very well that there were mistakes. I don’t even have to mention Vitória de Guimarães-Benfica [0-0, na oitava ronda] or at Vizela-Benfica [vitória dos ‘encarnados’ por 0-2, na 22.ª]. They are mistakes,” admits Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa today.
Source: DN
