A Portuguese soccer club’s U23 team staged a public on-field protest Monday, citing a pattern of controversial refereeing decisions and excessive penalties against its senior and youth squads.
The Torreense U23 squad entered the field alone at Estádio Nacional in Oeiras for their game against Farense, joining a broader protest by referees.
The club issued a press release outlining its grievances. It stated that in November, across its main team and U23 team, Torreense accumulated five red cards and five penalties awarded against them in just four games.
This unusual demonstration follows recent public criticism by Torreense regarding the officiating of a main team match. The club specifically called out referee António Nobre and VAR official Cláudia Ribeiro for what it described as a controversial performance.