Two teams planned to play Benfica on Sunday after a series of clashing soccer federation and court rulings threw the Portuguese league into chaos on its opening weekend.
Benfica was originally scheduled to play Belenenses but Gil Vicente said on Saturday it would also show up at the Stadium of Light.
Benfica club president Luis Filipe Vieira said his team will ”play either Gil Vicente or Belenenses”.
”If they both show up that won’t be a problem because we have four locker rooms,” he joked.
Clearing up the confusion — temporarily at least — the Portuguese Football Federation said on Friday that it would suspend opening matches involving Gil Vicente, Belenenses and another team, Leixoes, because of legal issues as to which team should be in the top division this season.
Belenenses was relegated to the second division last season while minnow Gil Vicente managed to stay in the top league by a point.
Belenenses then accused Gil Vicente of fielding an unregistered player — Angolan striker Mateus — in the last four games of the season.
The Portuguese League’s disciplinary committee demoted Gil Vicente to the second division, and returned Belenenses to the first.
The disciplinary committee said it made the decision because Gil Vicente went to the civil courts — a violation of the Portuguese Football Federation’s and Fifa’s rules.
Gil Vicente claimed it was entitled to go to court as it was a labour law case. Gil Vicente returned to court this week after the federation’s Justice Council denied the club’s appeal to stay in the first division.
The civil courts on Friday ruled in Gil Vicente’s favour and ordered the federation to keep the club in the first division.
Meanwhile, second division club Leixoes added to the confusion by saying it — not Belenenses — was entitled to move up if Gil Vicente was demoted. The Portuguese soccer federation has suspended Leixoes’ games as well. Leixoes finished third in the second division last season. – Sapa-AP