According to reporters from Camel.live, the Portuguese Professional Football Referees' Association (APAF) has filed a complaint with the Disciplinary Committee of the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) against José Mourinho, after the latter criticized the referee team following Benfica's match against Rio Ave.
In the rescheduled Round 1 of the Primeira Liga, Benfica drew 1-1 with Rio Ave at the Estádio da Luz. After the game, Benfica head coach Mourinho explicitly expressed his dissatisfaction with the performance of the referee team.
During the match, António Silva once scored a goal, but it was disallowed due to an earlier foul by Otamendi. In response, Mourinho stated bluntly: “We scored a goal, but it was ruled out because one toe stepped on another toe. I don’t like this kind of football, but if this is the new era of football, we have to accept it.”
In addition to questioning the referee’s decisions, Mourinho also turned his criticism to the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), arguing that VAR tried to "steal the spotlight" and become the protagonist of the game. He further added: “In the end, the protagonist of the game became that person sitting there, telling the referee to look at what we all saw—while the referee is someone lacking in personality, which is usually the case with them.”
The main referee for this match was Sérgio Guerreiro, and the video assistant referee (VAR) was Pedro Ferreira. It is understood that the Portuguese Professional Football Referees' Association (APAF) has filed a complaint regarding Mourinho’s remarks with the Disciplinary Committee of the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF).
