The postponement of football games due to lack of policing continues this Sunday, this time in the II League. The match between Leixões and Nacional did not take place at 11am, PÚBLICO learned from a source at the Leixões club, due to the lack of security conditions. The same happened a little later, in the meeting between Feirense and Académico de Viseu, for the same reasons.
In Matosinhos, according to what was possible to ascertain, the Public Security Police (PSP) only ensured the presence of two personnel at the stadium, reaching the conclusion in the preparatory meeting that the security conditions for the game were not met.
As a last resort to avoid a postponement, the PSP proposed holding the game behind closed doors, an alternative rejected by Leixões.
The duel between Feirense e Needle. Dream and which was scheduled for 3:30 pm at the Marcolino Stadium in Castroem Santa Maria da Feira, also did not take place. The number of PSP personnel in the “fogaceiros” enclosure was not enough to ensure that all the security conditions were met to carry out the challenge, leading to its postponement. The date on which the match will take place remains to be decided.
We now wait to find out what happens in the remaining football games this Sunday, with six matches in total scheduled, five in the I League and two in the II League. This Sunday’s big game is Benfica-Gil Vicente, with kick-off scheduled for 6pm at Estádio da Luz.
The National Director of the Public Security Police (PSP) and the General Commander of the National Republican Guard (GNR) are meeting with José Luís Carneiro, Minister of Internal Administration, for a meeting in which this Saturday’s incidents will be discussed. In front of the ministry, in Terreiro do Paço, there is a protest by police officers awaiting the result of the meeting.
This Saturday, police unions threatened to boycott the March 10 elections, after a protest at the Famalicão – Sporting match culminated in clashes between fans and led to the postponement of the game. “The Government and the President of the Republic have been aware of this for over a month” – the protests by the police and the GNR –, but “the Government continues in a deafening silence in which it says nothing, does nothing”, stated Armando Ferreira , president of the National Police Union (SINAPOL), in an interview with SIC Notícias on Saturday night.
During the afternoon, dozens of police officers reported that they were sick, reporting sick leave and putting the policing of the game between Famalicão and Sporting at risk. Although agents were mobilized from other areas, the reinforcement was late and did not prevent clashes between fans, with one man suffering serious injuries. Due to the lack of security, the game was postponed without a new date. Hours later, a new boycott was called for, this time of the March 10 elections.