April 21- Embroiled in constant negative headlines about the World Cup, Brazilian football has now been rocked by a shambolic domestic dispute when relegated Portuguesa abandoned their opening game of the new league season after just 17 minutes after a court order ruled they had a right to remain in the top division.
The Sao Paolo-based side were relegated after being deducted four points for fielding an ineligible player in the final game of last season. The club thought the player concerned had been banned for only match instead of two and lost an appeal to Brazil’s Superior Court of Sporting Justice when they argued they had been wrongly advised by their lawyers.
Ironically the points deduction lifted one of Brazil’s most iconic clubs, Fluminese, out of the relegation zone but Portuguesa supporters continued appealing through civil courts and one fan managed to get an injunction putting them back in the top flight.
The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) did not appeal that decision in time and judicial officials turned up at last week’s season-opening Serie B match against Joinville threatening to jail Portuguesa officials if they did not comply with the civil court’s decision.
Portuguesa’s players subsequently walked off the pitch and when they did not return the referee abandoned the match with the score 0-0. The CBF said in a short statement the civil judge did not have jurisdiction over the case and warned the ruling “has no judicial efficacy.”
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