Police strike risks providing Toulouse automatic victory against Benfica | OneFootball

According to A Bola, Toulouse FC’s visit to SL Benfica on Thursday 15th could be abandoned due to an ongoing police strike impacting Portugal.

The strike has already seen sporting events across Portugal postponed due to insufficient police presence meaning that security could not be assured. Last weekend, Liga Portugal matches by in large could not be played.

These protests have no end in sight and likely could impact Benfica’s ability to host Toulouse. If the match is abandoned and a replay cannot be rescheduled then Toulouse will be provided an automatic 3-0 victory before hosting Benfica in the second leg of the contest.

Toulouse to benefit from UEFA’s precedent?

This would follow the precedent set in 2021 when Tottenham Hotspurs could not accommodate a Europa Conference League group game against Stade Rennais because of a Covid-19 outbreak within the squad.

As José Miguel Albuquerque, the leader of the Portuguese Sports Law Association, explained “UEFA is much more inflexible in these matters of discipline. If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work, the clubs are sanctioned like this and we move on.”

Whilst this would be a significant advantage for La TéFéCé ahead of the second leg, it remains only a possibility. The obvious preference would be that the Portuguese police and the Portuguese Football Federation find a means for the game to take place as scheduled.

GFFN | Nick Hartland