Vítor Pereira's statements about Bruno Lage and the reactions that followed between Benfica and Porto created an exchange of accusations about refereeing in Portuguese football. Sérgio Krithinas, executive director of Record newspaper, commented on this situation, analyzing the impact of the words exchanged between the rivals.
Krithinas stated that there are referees who are more sensitive than others, but that the majority no longer lets itself be influenced by this type of statements. The Record executive sought to reassure readers regarding a possible conditioning of refereeing in the derby.
The "Farioli's barbs," which give the piece its title, refer to statements by Paulo Renato, former Benfica delegate, who wrote about the referee in A Bola newspaper. This situation is said to have fueled the tension between the two rival clubs.
The central theme concerns the possibility that the words of Benfica and Porto's officials could influence the decisions of referees in the matches between the two teams, a question that Krithinas sought to demystify in his analysis.
