FC Porto Statement on Benfica Conduct and Security

FC Porto Official Statement on Security and Ethics

1. SL Benfica has no moral dimension to point out anything regarding the behavior of fans or the organization of games.

2. The club, incidentally, is the common denominator in the following events:

• The death of a spectator in a Cup final in Portugal;
• An attack on a roller hockey team, which left an FC Porto player in a coma;
• A fire in a bus of Porto fans visiting the Pavilhão da Luz;
• The invasion of the field and assault on an assistant referee;
• Connivance and support for unregistered fan groups, which results in fines almost weekly due to the launching of various fireworks;
• The strategic placement of stewards in a tunnel to provoke the opposing team.

3. It makes no sense, therefore, for managers or "parrots" to talk about issues such as security. Neither complacency nor the deferral of authority will erase the aforementioned facts or legitimize these manipulative discourses.

Incidents at Dragão Stadium

4. The game this Sunday at the Dragão Stadium only underlined the "red impudence."

5. Is it normal for "offended virgins," to whom the police respond to paint bags with shotgun fire, to break down the doors of a locker room?

6. Does it make sense that a manager can attend the technical area while entitled to a police escort?

7. Is it "fair play" to see a player throw an object and spit at the bench?

Addressing Violence and Inconsistency

8. Violence is something that must indeed be eradicated. However, inconsistency, abuse of authority, and provocation must also be addressed.

9. SL Benfica claims that the PSP must have "uniform standards nationwide." This would be a welcome change. In fact, criteria should be uniform, but that never happens. FC Porto is greeted in Lisbon with shotgun fire (recall the recent arrival of the FC Porto delegation at Estoril), yet the police never provide an "honor guard" for our players, nor do they escort players to the press room.

Conclusion and League Reports

10. FC Porto quietly awaits the reports from the police force and the League leadership, assured that, on the field, they clearly defeated their opponent. This championship will be forever remembered for the "tunnel incidents" and the decisions of the Disciplinary Commission.

Porto, May 3, 2010
The Board of Directors of FC Porto - Futebol, SAD