António Salvador used SC Braga's departure for Copenhagen to turn the build-up to FC Copenhagen vs SC Braga into another attack on Portuguese refereeing. Speaking at Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport, the Braga president backed Carlos Vicens, questioned Luciano Gonçalves and said Braga had been cost five points by VAR in seven league rounds.

Salvador backs Vicens

Salvador's strongest public line was about the coach. Speaking to A Bola and translated from Portuguese, he said: "We trust our coach and the work that is being done." He added: "Carlos Vicens is the SC Braga coach and we are safe and united." He also asked supporters to stand by the team before the trip to Denmark.

The timing is tied to the 1st round of the league phase of the Conference League, with Braga due to face FC Copenhagen on 15 October 2026. Salvador said he expects a strong performance in Copenhagen, but the bigger message was internal. The club president wanted the row around the team to stop and the coach to stay shielded from it.

The VAR complaint

Salvador then widened the attack. In the same A Bola comments, he said: "At this moment, my question is whether Luciano Gonçalves is in psychological condition to manage the Refereeing Council in the way in which our football is and the pressure that exists." He followed that by calling on Pedro Proença to take measures to create stability and invest in refereeing.

His most specific complaint was numerical. Salvador said Braga had "five fewer points that were subtracted by the VAR" across seven league rounds, pointing to the matches against Moreirense and Sporting. Braga's league return is 11 points from seven games, with a record of 3 wins, 2 draws and 2 defeats, which leaves them ninth in the Primeira Liga. That gives the complaint context, but it does not prove the refereeing claim itself.

Braga's recent league form has also been uneven, with LDWLW across their last five matches. So the frustration is real enough. What Salvador said at the airport was still his own accusation, not a settled fact, and the trip to Copenhagen now sits alongside a domestic row that is not going away before kick-off.

Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →