The referees are absolutely atrocious. What is a penalty in one game in other games no call. Today in the Porto game a clear deflection off his leg, and bounces to his hand, and a PK is called, and two players are sent off. Yesterday on a clear shot by Liedson the player throws his hands in the air, and blocks the shot and no PK. Then we wonder why our league is as bad as it is. I'm all for having French, Italian, English refs do our games. Why not players can play across Europe under the Bosman ruling. WHY NOT REF'S? This is a joke, if Portuguese ref's aren't up to par bring in better ones.
What do you expect. same thing has been going on for years. Cant wait until the day Porto get relegated for match fixing.
Refereeing as a whole is a disgrace, not just in Liga Sagres. But i do agree with the overall sentiment.
In the SCB vs SCP game Meyong was completely tackled in the box after pushing the ball past a defender and there was no call at all.
Call what you want, but the non call on Liedson's shot was a game breker. Guess what Braga got a call, that eventually gave them the game.
problem is, when its porto its really easy for the refs to call a pk for them and im not talking smack i watch the games and I am speaking the truth and everyone knows it. teams have to be extra careful against porto, whether its PDC paying off ref, or some luck or psychological effect (as they are the winning team these days) I dont know. Sporting should have had a pen, if it went in the flow of the game would have changed so we dont know what would have happened but its likely sporting would have won or gotten a draw. Sporting usually misses PK's anyways largely because we dont get alot of practice to take them in game situations since a ref giving sporitng a pen is almost as rare as seeing haleys comet.
No doubt the reffing in the liga is horrible. As for top teams getting calls it has been this way for ever in almost every league in Europe. When Benfica was the great Portuguese flag bearer they got the calls, now that Porto flys the colours for Portuguese club football they get the calls. I'm sure in the 30s or 40s or whenever Sporting was good it was the same for them. It's not right but until FIFA allows the modernization of the game and the professionalization of Refs it will be this way I find the increasing shrillness from Sporting fans to be very interesting since it feels like they sense their club slipping from the top tier. Sporting fans have always had the biggest inferiority complex in Portugal but it's really escalated in the last few years despite Sporting's relatively good performances in the standings and in Europe. There is a real fear amongst the great green unwashed that if Benfica actually starts winning again that Portugal will become a duopoly with Sporting relegated to being a sort of Portuguese Tottenham Hotspur.
It's 2009 and Porto is still being blamed for every Sporting loss? I guess we will be blamed a lot then....
the last 15 years 1. Porto 2. Sporting 3. Benfica 4 (but very close to Benfica, Boavista) a few bucks and a few south americans wont change that.
btw Sporting is on its own tier in relation to other Portuguese clubs There is Sporting, and there is the rest Sporting's victories and titles are worth more, because they arent tainted by any corruption scandals and referee favoritism/being the club of the establishment. SPORTING = purity, righteousness, honour, respect, hardwork, dedication, devotion, and glory
and noone cares about porto all those (controversial) wins and still 3rd in the country in significance. all their glories are tied to PDC, their Sugar daddy.
Like I said, the biggest inferiority complex in Portuguese football. As to relevance ask 100 current non-Portuguese football fans to name a Portuguese club and probably 80 will say Porto, 15 Benfica, 4 Cristiano Ronaldo , and 1 Sporting. I don't think Portugal can sustain 3 big clubs in the modern game anymore and Sporting will be the odd man out. Personally I consider Porto to be Benfica's main rival not Sporting.
No one cares? When you think Portuguese football right now you think of FC Porto. Porto is an actual threat. So dont tell me no one cares. Inferiority complex at its finest. Keep it up.
Sporting and Benfica fans should be kissing Porto's and the other northern clubs' (Boavista, Braga) feet for carrying this crap league in Europe for so long and allowing your garbage asses to even qualify for a european spot. All you Lisboetas ever do is lose co effecient points and embarass Portuguese football in Europe. If it was up to you guys we would be ranked about the 20th best league in Europe.
all of a sudden you get a new coach and win a few matches and you gys think your on top again? Porto's main rival is Sporting, we finish ahead of you 4 times straight.
Benfica's only cup in recent seasons is stolen from sporting!!! and their last league title also stolen from sporting!!!
please. when we finish aheaad of you for the 5th consecutive year I wonder what the new excuses will be?
How about this for a thought. Maybe, just maybe, if we pay the refs like professionals we may get more people (better qualified people) becoming refs ????
That's exactly what I said. Non professional refs are susceptible to bribes and influence peddling and they make more mistakes because they don't spend all their professional hours developing their skills as refs. The NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB would never even entertain the idea of non-professional refs. It's crazy when you think about it.