In a statement entitled “Red Card to Verbal Violence,” the APAF recalls the meeting with the League of Clubs on November 12, in which it presented “a set of proposals for regulatory changes” that it intends to see implemented this season, but accuses the body's response of “not satisfying the demands presented.”

“We announce that referees will maintain and intensify protest actions until objective and effective measures are implemented to guarantee respect, safety, and dignity in the exercise of the refereeing function. We are considering proceeding with a total referee strike if nothing is done in a timely manner regarding our proposals,” the statement says.

The Portuguese Association of Football Referees (APAF) intends that “this issue be finally addressed with the seriousness and depth it deserves and that it be properly debated in Liga Portugal, both in the General Assembly and at the Presidents' Summit”.

“APAF and the referees acknowledge the commitment of the FPF Arbitration Council, which remains committed to ensuring the best conditions for the performance of the refereeing function. There is also a clear commitment from the president of the Portuguese Football Federation, Pedro Proença, to immediately ratify the regulatory changes, after they are approved by Liga Portugal, thus showing his willingness to guarantee this path of improvement,” it states.

The representative body of the class expects “the same responsibility and determination from all other entities involved in the game,” recalling that “this is not an issue exclusive to referees in professional competitions.”

“The prevailing climate is also being reflected in the referees of other competitions, national and district, at all levels, with a particular focus on the lack of security, a topic that deserves the utmost attention from the competent authorities,” he said.

Punishments

In the meeting with the League of Clubs, APAF advocated for the tightening of the Disciplinary Regulations in more than a dozen articles, advocating for the strengthening of punishment for attitudes and behaviours of clubs and sports agents towards refereeing teams.

Among the proposals, without alluding to the case reported by referee Fábio Veríssimo in the game between FC Porto and Sporting, APAF defends the alteration of Article 66, concerning coercion, adding the occurrence with family members of the refereeing team.

“It is considered, in particular, that there is an attempt when the club, during the game, including its interval, confronts or displays to any member of the refereeing team decisions of that game or previous games without their consent,” reads the wording proposed by APAF, which extends the scope of this article to attempts at coercion. The APAF (Portuguese Association of Football Referees) continues to advocate for tripling fines for statements about refereeing before matches, defending the loss of points in case of repeat offenses, and penalizing "suspicion" with the same proportion as the proposed increase in sanctions for assaults on referees, including the loss of five to ten points.

The referees' representative body advocates for a 100% increase in fines for acts that harm the honour and reputation of sports organisations and their members, also proposing, in case of repeat offenses, a one to three-game suspension, and, in the case of three or more convictions, the loss of two to six points.