Tumultuous scenes after the final whistle of the game between Sporting Lisbon and FC Porto
Image: Reuters
A missed penalty, four red cards and a president who has to be reassured by the police: the top game in the Portuguese soccer league between Porto and Sporting Lisbon descends into chaos after the final whistle.
Vere red cards after the final whistle, pack formations on the pitch – and the President of Sporting Lisbon had to be reassured by the police. What happened on Friday evening after the top game in the Portuguese soccer league between FC Porto and Sporting (2-2) had nothing to do with the sporting explosiveness of the game. “Toxic” was the headline in the sports newspaper “A Bola” on Saturday about the wild incidents in the Estádio do Dragão. “These were deplorable and shameful scenes,” said Porto coach Sérgio Conceição.
The game itself was marked by discussions with the referee, interruptions due to players lying on the ground and numerous arguments. It only got really heated with the final whistle. In the last scene of the game, Portos Pepe was hit in the head by an opponent in the penalty area, but the penalty was not awarded.
Then coaches and players of both teams ran onto the field, there was pushing, gesticulating and lamenting. The result: the completely overwhelmed referee pulled out red cards for Porto’s Pepe and Marchesín as well as for Lisbon’s João Palhinha and Bruno Tabata. According to “A Bola”, Sporting President Frederico Varandas and Porto Vice President Vítor Baía clashed long after the final whistle, so the police had to mediate.
In terms of sport, the tie helps leaders Porto significantly more than the guests. Due to the 2:2, the championship leader is separated by another six points from the closest pursuer.
