"Because there was some fear, because people's reactions to a conversation literally heard live were not yet well known, a first step was taken in a sensible way. Basically, it's a little treat, whether for those who are watching the game at home and pay for it, or for those who are in the stadium and want to understand what happened and what was at stake in a certain move," the former referee noted to the Lusa agency.

In January, the Refereeing Council (CA) of the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) was authorized by FIFA and the International Board (IFAB), the regulatory body for the rules of football, to raise the possibility of, in national competitions in which the VAR system is contemplated, a main 'judge' explaining to the public in real time a decision made, through the sound system of the stadiums and the respective television broadcast.

"This will have a great advantage: as much as people disagree with the decisions and may be upset, they will realize that there was no process of premeditation or intentional harm. By the fluidity of that conversation, they will understand that what the referee and the VAR say is genuinely what they are thinking about a move," he stressed.

Four months before the adoption of this tool, which already exists in other sports, such as rugby, the communications of the I League games began to be broadcast on a monthly television program, with Duarte Gomes praising another step by the CA of the FPF to "raise the transparency of processes, bring fans closer and give credibility to the sector".

"Was it time to move forward? I think so. For example, not letting so much time pass in relation to the moves, because we are talking about a monthly program and, often, something is addressed that people don't even remember anymore. It loses impact and effect with the public, who want to be satisfied the next day or 48 hours after the match. In other countries, this approach already happens after a short time. As much as people are still a bit hot, they can at least understand what happened," he said.

Portugal was one of the pioneers in the dissemination of audios and in the launch of VAR itself, a technological system approved in 2016 by the IFAB, which uses video images to assist refereeing teams remotely, and has been in force in the I League since 2017/18.

"There are a number of situations in which VAR unequivocally brings added value, but this process requires skill from the driver. We are still in the phase of identifying the referees who can transition well to a room, carry out an analysis work completely different from what they have on the field and adapt well. This requires innate skills and the ability to communicate with colleagues, withstand pressure in different ways and be quick and effective. Not everyone has these skills and I think that's why we still see some mistakes that we understand are not forgivable," observed Duarte Gomes.

The protocol provides for assistance in the deliberation of four situations - goals, red cards, penalties and exchanged disciplinary identity -, but the former 'judge' of the Lisbon association, 51 years old, projects an "inversion of trend, which will not necessarily be detrimental to the game", in the use of VAR, this season extended to the II League and the Women's League.

"There is a difficult balance to strike and I would not be surprised if, in the near future, there is a protocol that will only allow intervention in absolutely clear and factual exceptional situations, even more so than those we see now. This trend has already been passed on to those who will be at the European Championship: the referee on the field is the team leader, the owner of the game, and must decide the vast majority of the moves," concluded the television commentator.