FC Porto tied against Belenenses, 1-1, for matchday 13 of Liga NOS, and Sérgio Conceição wasn’t pleased when it was all over. The blue and white coach admitted that the Dragons should have “been calmer closer to the touchline”, but also criticised the “constant time wasting” of the opponent, which made everything “harder” for his team, together with the refereeing team.

Constant time wasting
“We faced a highly competitive and aggressive Belenenses. On the first time they went to our goal, they scored, but the play should have been disallowed, because of a hand on the ball in the midfield, and, if the VAR is there, he must act. We reacted and scored thanks to Loum, but the play was justly disallowed. We finally tied, and created enough opportunities to, on a good pitch, get to the break in the lead. In the second-half, I can’t remember Belenenses creating any situation. We created four, with the ball hitting the post in one of them. We should have also been calmer close to the touchline, but Belenenses was constantly wasting time and everything got harder. We are losing two points here, but the championship is long and we are prepared for what’s coming, as the players are professional. They are frustrated, as our fans are, after coming here and supporting the team from start to end, all 95 minutes, but it should have been 100, given the time wasting.”

Refereeing mistakes
“The championship will be fought by three or four teams. The teams behind us are historical candidates to the title, and then there are the refereeing teams, it is important that they decide well in every situation, and we have been seeing many mistakes, since the end of last season with this referee, and now this year again. Like this, it gets harder.”

Prepared to win
“We have to win the remaining matches, and we are here to do that.”

Conversation with referee João Pinheiro at the end
“That’s between me and him.”