Mário Figueiredo publicly expressed his view that there is a climate of fear among referees, who do not want to call out certain refereeing colleagues so as not to risk losing their positions. This position was defended during an analysis of the state of Portuguese refereeing.
Mercado NOW was the chosen platform to analyze complaints submitted by football clubs, which have been frequently criticizing refereeing decisions. Several plays considered controversial during the sporting season were examined.
The performance of the video assistant referee (VAR) was also called into question during this analysis. Participants identified problems in the way the technology has been applied and in the consistency of decisions.
Criticism also focuses on the lack of consequences for refereeing errors and the lack of renewal in Portuguese refereeing ranks, which, according to clubs, contributes to the perpetuation of the identified problems.
