Through the voice of Rui Lança, director of the pavilion sports, Benfica denounces what it considers to be the «great duality of criteria» of arbitrations in matches with FC Porto, relating to the semi-final of the play-off of the National Hockey Championship in rollerblading.
The eagles won the first two games, at Dragão Arena, having been defeated in the two following matches, at Pavilhão da Luz. The ‘negra’ is scheduled for Thursday, at 15:00, in the blue and white stronghold.
«We, at Dragão Arena [jogos 1 e 2], we had a different posture, and FC Porto was possibly surprised by our approach and strategy. Just as FC Porto took a different approach to Wednesday’s game [26 de maio]. Thursday’s game will be completely different, because there is no opportunity to correct the mistake. It will be a game where whoever misses the least will win, and I hope the game will be decided because there was a player who was better in front of goal, or because the goalkeepers were better or worse. It would be very good for this game, and even for the final, if the matches were decided by the real players, who are the players”, stressed Rui Lança, in statements to BTV, reproduced on the Benfica website, stressing that “we have been watching a large duality of criteria in the showing of blue cards.»
“What Benfica has demonstrated to the two entities responsible for the organization – the Portuguese Skating Federation and the Arbitration Council – is the development of situations so that the applicability of the rules is uniform so that candidates for the title have an equal treatment”, said the director of the reds, recalling that “the vast majority of the best players in the world” play in Portugal.
Therefore, he considers that “what has to be is a demand from all parties to make improvements, and they have to happen so that the winning team feels that they are doing it with equality among all.”
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