Portugal's referee chief resigns over interference claims, FPF sends case to prosecutor, top clubs demand transparency

The resignation and its triggers

Duarte Gomes, the FPF's national technical director for refereeing, resigned on 26 June after receiving a complaint from a professional referee at the end of the last season. The information, which Gomes described as giving rise to "very relevant institutional concerns", centred on alleged interference in referee appointments for fixtures in the final rounds of the Primeira Liga. Gomes attempted to investigate internally but concluded that it was impossible to restore the level of institutional confidence he considered essential for the role.

“At the end of last season, a professional football referee shared with me a set of information which, by its nature and sensitivity, gave me very relevant institutional concerns.”

The FPF's legal referral

On 1 July, the FPF announced that the chairmen of its governing bodies (direction, general assembly board, justice council and disciplinary council) had immediately forwarded the facts reported by Luciano Gonçalves, president of the refereeing council, to the Public Prosecutor's Office. The referral was made under article 6(1) of the Legal Regime of Sports Integrity, which requires mandatory reporting whenever sports agents become aware of fraudulent behaviour likely to alter a competition or its result. The justice council is meeting today to analyse the situation, the federation added.

Benfica and FC Porto demand answers

Benfica requested an emergency meeting with the FPF, saying it viewed the revelations with "extreme gravity" and demanding "complete clarifications and guarantees that Portuguese refereeing will not remain subject to pressures, constraints or influences that undermine sporting truth". The club recalled its own "zero tolerance" warning for the upcoming season. FC Porto said it was following the case with "deep concern and consternation" and called on Luciano Gonçalves to provide urgent explanations, insisting that "transparency, responsibility and urgent answers" were required.

“The institutional gravity of the allegations now known imposes transparency, responsibility and urgent answers.”

Duarte Gomes breaks silence

In a social media statement, Gomes laid out the sequence of events without naming the referee or the exact details. He stressed that he had conducted his diligences with reserve, neutrality and transparency, and that he had never harmed anyone's honour or reputation. He formally communicated his resignation by email to the president of the refereeing council, copying the other members, and stated he remained fully available to provide additional clarifications to the competent authorities.