According to VoetbalPrimeur, the club claims that the report misrepresents their earlier stance on the appointment of referee Fábio Veríssimo in January. Porto questioned the appointment at the time due to ongoing procedures involving both the club and the referee. The club stated that it was 'particularly unwise' to appoint Veríssimo for the match, citing concerns over the integrity of the competition. Porto has now clarified that it does not influence referee appointments, stating 'FC Porto does not appoint referees.' The club has announced plans to take legal action and rejects any 'untruths, insinuations, or campaigns' that could harm the team.