Porto clinch Primeira Liga title despite Mourinho’s Benfica remaining unbeaten
Jose Mourinho’s Benfica will controversially miss out on the Primeira Liga title to rivals Porto despite the possibility of finishing the entire season without suffering a single defeat.
Porto officially secured the championship after extending their lead to an unassailable nine points over the Lisbon-based club this weekend.
Under the presidency of former Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas, the newly crowned champions have lost just once in 32 league matches.
Costly draws punish invincible run
While the Eagles have yet to taste defeat in domestic action, they have accumulated 10 frustrating draws.
This total is six more than their title-winning rivals, allowing vital points to slip away across the campaign.
The Portuguese giants will still complete a historic invincible season if they avoid defeat against Braga and Estoril Praia in their final two fixtures.
Remarkably, this exact scenario has haunted the club before, having been pipped to the 1977-78 championship by Porto on goal difference despite remaining unbeaten.
Officiating anger follows dropped points
The latest setback occurred on Saturday following a 2-2 draw at Famalicao, a result which mathematically ended their hopes of lifting the trophy.
Club president Rui Costa furiously directed his post-match frustration towards the officials rather than his squad’s performance.
“No-one has the right to decide who wins championships or who goes to the Champions League other than the players and coaches on the field, and what happened here today was not that.”
The 52-year-old executive argued that Famalicao were awarded a controversial penalty and scored their second goal from an incorrectly awarded corner.
“It unequivocally explains what this referee came here to do today. Trying to make sure Benfica got beaten here.”
Following these explosive comments, the Portuguese Association of Football Referees is reportedly preparing to file a formal complaint against the former midfielder.
Real Madrid links and contract talks
The legendary Portuguese manager echoed his president’s sentiments regarding the standard of refereeing throughout the season.
The 61-year-old tactician has recently been linked with a potential summer return to Real Madrid if the Spanish titans part ways with Alvaro Arbeloa.
However, domestic media reports suggest the Lisbon side are preparing to offer the two-time Champions League winner a new contract this week to secure his long-term future.