Duarte Gomes, former National Technical Director of refereeing, publicly criticized the end of public evaluations of referees, considering that the refereeing communication policy was reduced to zero within a year. The former director reacted to a decision made by the Refereeing Council of the Portuguese Football Federation.
As National Technical Director, Duarte Gomes was responsible for implementing the system of public evaluations of referees, which allowed monitoring the performance of game officials. This transparency was, according to him, fundamental for the credibility of Portuguese refereeing.
The decision to end public evaluations comes at a time of tension between the refereeing class and clubs, particularly after several controversial episodes in national competitions. The federation justified the measure with arguments related to the protection of referees.
Duarte Gomes warned that the end of this policy could compromise the relationship between refereeing and the other stakeholders in Portuguese football, hindering public understanding of refereeing decisions and the continuous development of the class.
