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Benfica is a prestigious soccer club of Portugal and in the 1960s had Eusebio, a remarkable center forward. Yet, some observers believed Portuguese Premier Salazar surmounted Eusebio in Benfica’s triumphant campaign. “Referee that impairs Benfica is not a good head of household,” was a pervasive slogan.

The referee of the of the game Benfica vs Santa Clara on September 14, 2024, reminded me the slogan. “Delay in match because of an injury to Alisson Safira (Santa Clara), at minute 27, and he is shown the yellow card, at minute 30 of the game.”

Benfica had lost 5 points in the first four games of the championship and sought revitalization with a head coach replacement . . . Santa Clara, an Azorean team, was leading Benfica 1-0 at minute 27 when Safira was injured by a Benfica player, a clear foul, but the referee, the Resurrected Salazar, did not call the foul and Benfica tied the game immediately following the foul. Demoralized Santa Clara lost the game 4-1 to revitalized Benfica.

The referee did not allow medical assistance to the injured Azorean player for three minutes and received a yellow card, but when Benfica players were injured, the referee rushed to aid them. Do Azoreans continue inferior Portuguese citizens?

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