The decision became known on Tuesday which could once again spark controversy in Portuguese football.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (TAD) has invalidated the decision that prevented Antonio Adan from facing Benfica last season, after he was sent off in the previous round against Maritimo.
All because the Spanish goalkeeper’s defence, which Sporting sent to the full disciplinary board via email, ended up in SPAM.
Thus, an appeal that would have no effect, because the Lions wanted to cancel the first yellow card for Adan, which contradicts the principle of the referee’s authority, reopens a process that no longer has a possible solution, because the match has already ended in a reserved place.
In the now-known document, the TAD sends the operation back to the FPF, which is also required to pay €4,980 of the costs of the operation.
“The right to defense is stipulated in the disciplinary regulations of the Portuguese Professional Football League as one of the basic principles of disciplinary procedures. Failure to consider the defense (and the indicated means of proof) presented through the means indicated by the Portuguese Football Federation because it was allocated to its SPAM box is equivalent to failure to grant the exercise of the right of defence, which is coupled with invalidity. It determines the invalidity of acts performed thereafter,” reads the TAD order.
