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SportsLeaked audios of Portuguese FA chief Pedro Proença show him slamming referees, insulting VP
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Three leaked audio recordings of Pedro Proença, current president of the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF), have circulated on social media, causing upheaval in Portuguese football. The recordings, made about two years ago when Proença was campaigning for the FPF presidency, capture him criticizing the quality of Portuguese referees as 'very weak,' making derogatory remarks about his vice-president José Fontelas Gomes, and referencing Benfica's numerous legal cases. In one clip, Proença names specific referees he considers competent and dismisses others. In another, he insults Fontelas Gomes, calling him a 'product' and questioning his competitiveness. A third clip features Proença angrily referencing 27 Benfica-related cases and issuing a profanity-laced warning to Fernando Seara, former Benfica General Assembly president. Both Seara and the FPF have declined to comment, citing the illegality of the recordings.
Source report
Three short excerpts from a private conversation held by Pedro Proença, current president of the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF), are causing upheaval behind the scenes of Portuguese football. In the recordings, Proença criticises the standard of refereeing in Portugal, makes unflattering remarks about José Fontelas Gomes—whom he later appointed as his vice-president—and references Benfica's numerous legal cases.
Only Proença's voice is heard in the conversation, with his comments addressed to "Seara." Contacted by Record, Fernando Seara, former president of Benfica's General Assembly Board, stated only that he would not comment on illegal recordings of conversations. The FPF also declined to comment, citing the same reason.
According to available information, the recordings were made approximately two years ago, when Proença—then president of the Portuguese League—was campaigning among clubs to secure support for his bid to lead the FPF, a position to which he was elected in February 2025. The conversation covered refereeing and disciplinary matters, typically the two biggest concerns for all the clubs he met with.
Criticism of Refereeing Standards
In one audio clip, Proença offers a "diagnosis" of the state of refereeing:
"The referees are weak, they are all very weak. And you can have three, four guys who are minimally competent... (...) Artur [Soares Dias], [João] Pinheiro, you put the guy from the Algarve [Nuno Almeida], and then you put Godinho or something like that in there... The rest is all very weak."
Remarks on Vice-President José Fontelas Gomes
In another excerpt, Proença discusses José Fontelas Gomes, who served as president of the Refereeing Council under Fernando Gomes and later became Proença's first vice-president at the FPF:
"That guy is a product of Pedro [Proença] who, at a certain point, [Tiago] Craveiro forced the guy to pretend there was some war with me. Zé [Fontelas Gomes] is what he is. Don't expect Zé [Fontelas Gomes]... a guy as competitive as me. Zé [Fontelas Gomes] even has that speech that, man, he's a guy born in the slums, only thinks about football."
Reference to Benfica's Legal Cases
In the third clip, Proença addresses the legal cases involving Benfica, with a direct reference to Seara:
"You want to play that game with me? Of the 32 times I was called to the Judicial Police, 27 were Benfica cases. Do you know where the case investigations are conducted? The case investigations are at the League. You want to play that game with me, Seara? Don't mess with me, motherf*****."
Source
RecordRegional
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Leaked Audios of Portuguese Football Federation President Pedro Proença Spark Controversy