The video refereeing system at Estádio do Dragão, in Porto, was without power for 14 minutes at FC Porto-Arouca, of the fourth round of the I Liga, and the reserve support was exhausted, informed this Monday the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF). ).
In a statement, the FPF Arbitration Council (CA) reported on the technical information on the use of the mobile phone by referee Miguel Nogueira, to assess a possible penalty shot against the Iranian Mehdi Taremi, who pointed out, having reversed the decision, without that he had reviewed the images of the bid that took place at 90+6 minutes.
The CA confirmed the communication and video failure in the referee’s review area (RRA), at the 87th minute of the match played on Sunday, in the blue and white venue, and the appeal, in the face of this failure, to » mobile equipment – available in all stadiums – in order to communicate with the Video Referee Center in Cidade no Futebol ».
« By analyzing the incident, the technicians concluded that the only available electrical outlet in the stadium’s overhaul area had no electrical current and that during the course of the game the backup power system – also known as UPS (Uninterrupted Power Supply) – ran out. if », details the statement.
According to the same source, « this electrical outlet does not have back-up or assisted power », and due to the power outage, « the process of changing the equipment to the second backup power system (UPS) was started, with the service was fully restored at minute 101 ».
Despite the 14-minute blackout in the referee’s review area, on the pitch, « the technical solution that links Cidade do Futebol to Estádio do Dragão did not register any failure », assured the CA, which assured that the VAR used in the I Liga » uses certified technology used in several international competitions ».
« VAR was introduced in Portugal in May 2017 and the operating time without service interruptions is 99.8% », underlines the CA.
Without access to the images, the referee Miguel Nogueira addressed the coaches of the two teams to reveal the decision to reverse the said penalty, an action contested, immediately after the game, by FC Porto, which protested the match.
« FC Porto presented a protest to the League delegates with a view to the annulment of the game with Arouca. This measure is based on the referee’s action at the time of the reversal, following a telephone call and without access to the images of the bid penalty awarded by the field referee for fouling Mehdi Taremi », said FC Porto, in a statement.
On the same note, the blue and whites consider that the referee of the match, Miguel Nogueira, committed a « violation of the rules of the game ».
« Miguel Nogueira’s action constitutes a violation of the rules of the game and an error of law with a potential serious impact on the outcome of the match », concludes the club.
After this episode, the « dragons » would again have a new maximum punishment, which Galeno wasted, at 90+15 minutes, before Evanilson consummated the 1-1 draw, at 90+19, after Cristo González had advanced Arouca, at 84.