FC Porto president André Villas-Boas argued that the victory over Benfica was fair and featured excellent refereeing. The Porto leader used the Portugal Football Globes gala to launch a fierce criticism of the Portuguese Football Federation's Arbitration Council, calling for its immediate suspension.
Regarding Benfica's complaints, Villas-Boas stated at the entrance to the event at the Cidade do Futebol in Oeiras that this would have to be asked of Rui Costa himself. Overall, I think it was a great refereeing performance, he said about referee Miguel Nogueira's work in the 7th round I Liga classic.
The win keeps FC Porto alone at the top of the league, with 21 points from seven games, five ahead of their Lisbon rivals. The club has a perfect record of seven wins in seven matches, scoring 18 goals and conceding just three. The most recent result, the 3-1 win over Benfica, was built with goals from Gabri Veiga, Victor Froholdt and Hwang In-Beom, after Alexander Bah's temporary equaliser. The team's strong form is further highlighted by their recent performances.
Villas-Boas did not limit himself to praising the derby performance. The president launched a frontal attack on the Portuguese refereeing system, claiming FC Porto has been disadvantaged this season. There is suspicion and corruption in Portuguese football, he declared, repeating his call for the FPF's Arbitration Council to be suspended. His complaint focuses on several VAR decisions which, in his view, have gone against the club.
Despite the controversies, the sporting balance is extremely positive. Villas-Boas highlighted the work of coach Francesco Farioli, whom he called a great coach. The Italian has the team performing at a high level, something that can be checked on the club's stats page. The president also showed ambition in the Champions League, where the goal is to reach the knockout stages to help rise in UEFA's coefficient ranking. To achieve this, the team aims for an average of possession per game in the competition's group stage.
The team's next challenge will be away to Marítimo on October 10th. The opponent currently sits 11th in the league table, which can be viewed in the standings. FC Porto will travel to Madeira with confidence boosted by their perfect league start and their president's supportive statements.
André Villas-Boas responded to statistics about fouls and cards by referencing the club's perfect record. The FC Porto president stated: "The statistic I know is that FC Porto has 21 points, seven wins in seven games". Villas-Boas reiterated his position on the FPF's Refereeing Council, demanding its immediate suspension. The Porto leader claimed the club has been harmed by VAR decisions throughout the championship.
