The Portuguese Primeira Liga witnessed a bizarre incident on Saturday night when Belenenses took on Benfica. The hosts had a massive COVID-19 outbreak in the side, which left 14 people positive, and they had just 9 players who could take the field, out of which 2 were goalkeepers.
Since the minimum number of players required to take the field during a game is 7, the authorities decided to go ahead with the scheduled game, and it proved to be a disaster for Belenenses. SL Benfica scored seven times inside the first 45, with the opening goal coming in the very first minute. Haris Seferovic scored twice, whilst Darwin Nunez scored a sensational hat-trick.
The situation was worsening after play resumed in the second half, with Joao Monteiro, a goalkeeper playing in the midfield for this fixture, was injured and there were no substitutions available for the club to make. The referee eventually decided to call off the game, but the result stood 7-0 in favour of Benfica, with the match abandoned due to an insufficient number of players.
This left the club furious, as in most cases, teams were given the leeway to postpone games if any of the players had tested positive for COVID-19. The players had released a statement saying the sport is only beautiful as long as it remains competitive, and that factor was snatched by the greed of some individuals.
“Football only has heart if it is competitive. Football only has heart if it is sporting. Football only has heart when it is an example of public health. Today, football has lost its heart. The calendar has not been planned well – and the consequences are clear to see,”
a statement from the club said.
A number of players and journalists had ripped the Portuguese authorities apart for letting this game go through, which could prove to be very costly for the victim team. This defeat leaves them in 17th position on the table, with their goal difference taking a huge hit. Belenenses are scheduled to face Vizela next up in the league, a fixture whose future is in jeopardy as it stands.
