Benfica demands rigorous probe into Jhon Durán red card and referee's report

Sending-off after the final whistle

Jhon Durán, a 22-year-old Colombian striker, was shown a red card by referee Cláudio Pereira just after the final whistle of Benfica's 2-1 away win at Santa Clara in the Azores on Monday, 26 October. The dismissal followed a dispute with Santa Clara's Brazilian scorer, Luís Fernando, who was also sent off directly. The argument spread to players from both sides on the pitch. The referee also sent off Benfica assistant coach Gonçalo Santos, the club's director for professional football Mário Branco, and a Santa Clara analyst, Tiago Pinto.

The referee's report

Pereira's match report reached the public through the Portuguese media on Wednesday, 28 October. It says Durán was provoked and answered with "imperceptible words" that helped spread the general conflict. The report also says the striker used offensive, insulting or coarse language or gestures, which the referee cited as the reason for the red card. According to Benfica, Pereira acknowledged that he did not understand the words he nonetheless credited with inflaming the conflict.

Benfica's statement

Benfica issued an official statement the same day, accusing the referee of presenting a false version of events. The club asked the disciplinary council of the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) to examine the case rigorously and to sanction what it called an unjustifiable conduct. Benfica said the match images show no aggression or provocative gesture from Durán.

“We are facing yet another episode of extraordinary refereeing creativity, which demands a rigorous investigation.”

The club also compared the case with the Famalicão match refereed by Gustavo Correia, where it said the report did not match the facts. Benfica asked the referees' council not to reward serious errors with further appointments to Primeira Liga matches.

Coach and availability

Benfica coach Marco Silva criticised the sending-off at his pre-match press conference for the Taça da Liga quarter-final against Gil Vicente. He said:

“We are talking about a player who was shown a totally unfair red card at the end of the game.”

Silva said Durán was in the squad, but his availability remained uncertain because a quick decision from the disciplinary body was needed given the midweek fixtures. At the time of reporting, no sanction had been applied, and Benfica had requested that the suspension be lifted. Silva also said he had not yet seen the full match images and asked broadcasters to release all footage, criticising the delays in obtaining stand footage earlier in the season.