This Thursday, we covered claims from the Portuguese press saying former Sporting and Arsenal player Luís Boa Morte would be honoured during the Europa League clash between the clubs.
The former winger was supposed to go to the pitch, receive a present from the Lisbon side and have a few minutes of interaction with club fans.
But those who were at the Estádio José de Alvalade or who paid attention to the halftime break may have noticed that there was no tribute at all, and Boa Morte wasn’t even mentioned.
The local press has the reason for it today, with Record having the most complete article. It’s claimed that the event was cancelled due to pressure and threats from Sporting fans, who said they would boo the former player.
There are many reasons for cancelling.
One would be that Boa Morte recently teased with some affection for city rivals Benfica. The other is for criticism made for assistant coach Tiago Fernandes, who the ex-player claimed only had a job due to his father’s influence at the club. Then there’s also the fact that Boa Morte’s son is playing for Benfica’s academy.
Record claims that Boa Morte was informed by Sporting that there would be no tribute during the Arsenal, and even though he didn’t get upset, he didn’t even attend the game.
