Benfica Protests Referee Appointment for Super Cup

Benfica has expressed strong dissatisfaction with the appointment of referee Fábio Veríssimo for the Portuguese Super Cup match against Sporting Lisbon, scheduled for Thursday, July 31st. The reaction came after the announcement of Veríssimo's appointment by the Portuguese Refereeing Committee.

According to reports, Benfica has four reasons for its reaction:

1. They believe the referee with the best average rating should have been appointed, while Veríssimo was fourth.
2. Last season, Veríssimo refereed six Sporting Lisbon matches, more than any other team, with controversial decisions.
3. Veríssimo refereed two Benfica matches last season, in which the team was defeated.
4. In the Sporting-Benfica 1-0 match, Veríssimo did not award a penalty in favor of Benfica.

Benfica was represented at the Refereeing Committee event by Mário Branco and Ricardo Rocha.