Sunday, November 28th, 2021
Benfica were already leading 7-0
City derby canceled after corona chaos
In the Lisbon derby between Belenenses and Benfica, the home side can only play with nine players due to the corona. In terms of sport, the game quickly developed into a debacle for Belenenses. When three players are injured and eliminated, the game is aborted.
The pandemic makes it possible: Belenenses Lisbon competed on Saturday evening in the city derby against Benfica with the former Dortmund player Julian Weigl with only nine players in the “starting eleven” – including two goalkeepers. In a corona outbreak, 17 team members, including 14 players and head coach Filipe Candido, were infected. Substitute keeper Joao Monteiro had to play as an outfield player.
In the second half, when the score was 0: 7, only seven professionals competed. When another player “injured” lay down on the grass, the referee stopped the unequal game in the 48th minute, in accordance with the statutes. The fans chant: “The league is a shame!” The match will probably be rated 0: 3.
Club boss Rui Pedro Soares cried during the break, reported the newspaper “Record”. After all, his team had taken two corners. But after 25 seconds it was 0: 1, Eduardo Kau had scored in his own goal. Weigl scored the interim 0: 3 (27th), the former Frankfurt Haris Seferovic managed a double.
“We should all be ashamed of what happened”
The league was informed in the afternoon before the evening game that they did not want to play in view of the many corona-related failures, said Belenenses President Soares in the press conference after the game. The league replied that the club had eight players who could have played. Soares complained that a South African player from the club was not allowed to enter, but was still considered fit by the league. According to Soares, the club had not asked for a game to be rescheduled in advance. Why not remained unclear at first.
At the press conference after the game, Benfica President Rui Costa spoke of a “black chapter for Portuguese football and the whole country”. Benfica adhered to the regulations, as did Belenenses, who were forced to play. “We should all be ashamed of what happened, but Benfica are not responsible for this black chapter.”