The former Madrid center back Pepecaptain of Porthas accused the Argentine midfielder Santiago Colombattoof famalicaofor using racist insults at him during the game the two played on Thursday.
The episode the Portuguese refers to occurred in the 87th minute of the second leg of the Portuguese Cup semifinals, when Colombatto, who was lying on the grass to help, was about to call him “monkey” in Spanish. The cameras did capture how visibly angry Pepe was, who was close to the opponent.
“It’s very sad that it happens to athletes of this level. Unfortunately, the referee didn’t have the courage because he heard it. He called me (Colombatto) a monkey,” the former Real Madrid player told the Portuguese state broadcaster RTP at the end of the match.
Pepe said he did not leave the pitch “out of respect” for the fans, he considered the situation “unacceptable in a football match” and again criticized the referee’s position. “He listened to him. He frowned, he said that he had not been a ‘monkey’, that he had been ‘cute’ (…). I told him that I was disappointed in him. He did not deserve to be congratulated . He has the authority and evidence to change a dark history in football,” he said.
On Famalicao’s behalf, team coach Joao Pedro Sousa assured a press conference that everything was “a lie.” “Whether they are players, coaches, leaders, whoever said that Colombatto offended someone, that is a lie. A lie,” he said.
He also mentioned that he asked his player on the subject and he denied it: “I only asked him once and, if for some reason he did what they accuse him of, with the character he has he would quickly assume it, and he told me that it’s a lie,” Sousa stressed.
Conceiçao believes that Pepe deserves more respect
On the other hand, Porto coach Sergio Conceiçao emphasized in a press conference that he “fully trusts” Pepe’s story. “There are audios from the referee and the Arbitration Council needs to understand what the Famalicao player called Pepe. Pepe is the captain of the team, one of the Portuguese players with the most titles… He disrespected Pepe,” he declared.
Porto defeated Famalicão 3-2 on Thursday, thanks to two goals in the final seconds of extra time, and will meet Braga in the Portuguese Cup final, scheduled for June 4.
Source: La Verdad
I am Shawn Partain, a journalist and content creator working for the Today Times Live. I specialize in sports journalism, writing articles that cover major sporting events and news stories. With a passion for storytelling and an eye for detail, I strive to be accurate and insightful in my work.
