“Rui Costa explodes against referee after Benfica’s draw.”

Rui Costa explodes against referee Gustavo Correia: “He prevented Benfica from going to the Champions League!”

The president of Benfica did not hold back after the agonizing 2-2 draw in Famalicão, denouncing a refereeing performance that, in his view, was decisive in denying the Eagles access to the Champions League. Rui Costa launched harsh accusations at referee Gustavo Correia, asserting that the official “came here to harm Benfica” and that his performance would have conditioned the club’s European future.

Upon leaving the Municipal Stadium of Famalicão, Rui Costa did not hide his outrage. “Benfica no longer had the capacity to be champions, but was fighting for the Champions League. What that gentleman did here was prevent Benfica from going to the Champions League,” he stated emphatically. The Benfica leader pointed directly to controversial decisions, particularly a handball by Rodrigo Pinheiro in the Famalicão area that, according to Benfica, warranted a penalty in favor of their team—a punishment that, interestingly, was not awarded, while in a recent Benfica-Casa Pia match, the same referee did not hesitate to award a penalty against the Eagles for a handball by António Silva.

But the criticism did not stop there. Rui Costa also highlighted the corner that led to Famalicão’s second goal, labeling it as irregular: “It’s a corner that isn’t a corner and it resulted in the equalizing goal,” he stated. To further paint a bleak picture, the president revealed that, in the last six months, Gustavo Correia was appointed to officiate only one match involving the so-called “big three” and insinuated a strange criterion in the appointments, suggesting that the referee may have been led to directly influence the standings of the championship.

Furthermore, Rui Costa expressed his outrage over the management of stoppage time and the yellow card shown to Ríos, which will keep him out of the next match against Sp. Braga. “This gentleman came here to harm Benfica. No one has the right to decide championships or standings other than the players and coaches,” he emphasized, promising that the club would do everything to ensure its presence in the Champions League next season.

The Benfica president’s outburst reflects a team that feels deeply wronged. “When I come to talk to you, I speak of unequivocal cases. No one will be able to explain these cases. The stoppage time? It can only have been so that Benfica would leave here harmed,” Rui Costa concluded, leaving a serious accusation hanging that will certainly stir Portuguese football in the coming weeks.

This episode comes at a sensitive moment in the season, with Benfica fighting for European qualification that could be worth millions and secure international prestige. The controversial refereeing by Gustavo Correia is set to dominate discussions and shift the focus onto decisions that influence the fates of the country’s top teams.

Stay tuned for all updates on this case, which promises to have consequences for the outcome of the championship and future European competitions. Rui Costa has already issued a warning: Benfica will not passively accept this alleged injustice. The battle is far from over!

This article first appeared on Apito Final.