The plenary meeting of the FPF Disciplinary Council recognized Pinto da Costa’s appeal as unfounded

The full Disciplinary Council (CD) of the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) has found the appeal filed by outgoing FC Porto SAD president Pinto da Costa against his 35-day ban to be unfounded.

A source connected with the process told Lusa that the appeal filed this week by the director, who was punished with more than a month of punishment and a fine of 5,610 euros, was not supported by the professional department of this disciplinary body.

Pinto da Costa was punished for “damage to honor and reputation, as well as a slanderous accusation” due to criticism of the refereeing after the defeat of Sergio Conceiço’s team in the visit to Estoril Praia (1-0) on March 30, the 27th round of the I League will take place.

The director accused chief referee António Nobre of the Leiria association of “failing to judge” the visit of FC Porto to Estoril, incidents of which led to the filing of a case against the SAD Dragoins, who was fined 15,810 euros. and to its president, who was equally critical of Thiago Martins, the video referee (VAR) for that match.

António Nobre sent off goalkeeper Diogo Costa and striker Francisco Conceição, both from Porto, and Bernardo Vital, Estoril Praia’s centre-back, applying the same sanction after the final whistle to Luis Gonçalves, SAD administrator of the Blues and Whites “

Pinto da Costa filed an appeal against the decision determined by the CD FPF in a week during which he ended a series of 15 mandates and 42 years at the head of FC Porto and gave way to Andre Villas-Boas, former coach of the Porto football team, against who lost the election.

The inauguration ceremony for the club’s new governing bodies took place on Tuesday, but the transfer of powers to the SAD will take place on May 28, two days after the Portuguese Cup final, in which the Dragons meet new domestic champions Sporting at the Sporting Stadium. at the Estadio Nacional in Oeiras and will try to win the trophy for the third time in a row.

On Tuesday, Pinto da Costa expressed his desire to symbolically follow this match on the bench of FC Porto, despite the sanctions imposed by the CD FPF, affecting the technical areas of the stadiums and beyond the date of the Portuguese Cup final.

Since the FPF CD Plenum upheld the 35-day penalty, Pinto da Costa can also apply to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (TAD) for a preventive measure that, if accepted, will allow him to be on the pitch at the National Stadium in May. 26th.

The meeting with Sporting will end Porto’s season and mark the departure of Pinto da Costa as president of the SAD, a position he has held since 1997, the year the society was founded, responsible for the management of professional Blaugrana players. football.