The referees José Bessa and João Gonçalves were appointed to referee FC Porto and Benfica matches in the sixth round of the Portuguese I Liga football championship. Despite having failed the physical tests, the appointment was made anyway.
These two referees failed the mandatory physical tests for the practice of refereeing. However, the Portuguese Football Federation proceeded with their appointment for the next round of the championship.
The FC Porto match will have José Bessa as the main referee, while João Gonçalves will be in charge of the Benfica match. Both clubs are historic rivals in Portuguese football and are among the main contenders for the title.
The situation raises questions about the Federation's appointment criteria, since referees who did not pass the physical tests were chosen to referee games of great importance in the competition.
