"My understanding is that the player is provisionally suspended and cannot be included in the match sheet. This understanding results from the combined application of articles of the disciplinary regulations of competitions organized by the Portuguese Professional Football League (LPFP)", lawyer José Miguel Albuquerque analyzed to the Lusa agency.

Enea Mihaj, 25, had completed a series of five yellow cards in the I League when Famalicão drew at FC Porto (2-2), on Saturday, of the 29th round, with doubts about the interpretation of the game in which he would have to serve this suspension.

The central defender is not on the match sheet prepared by coach Armando Evangelista, on a day when the press reported an urgent clarification request submitted by Famalicão to the LPFP and the Disciplinary Council (CD) of the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF), which will not have provided clarifications on the matter to the Minhotos.

José Miguel Albuquerque cites the fourth point of article 37 of the LPFP regulations, which provides that "players are considered automatically and provisionally suspended until the decision of the disciplinary section, and this suspension cannot exceed one game".

"Since the footballer in question is automatically and provisionally suspended until the aforementioned decision, in my opinion, he cannot be included in the match sheet", he assessed.

The president of the Portuguese Association of Sports Law also highlights point seven of article 38 of the same regulation, which involves postponed matches, on the date on which they actually come to be played, as one of the two alternatives safeguarded for the "fulfillment of the suspension sanction for official games" determined for a footballer.

"I am not unaware that there is a recent decision by the FPF's CD that separates the moments of preventive suspension from the fulfillment of the suspension sanction and that limits the application of article 38, number seven, to suspension sanctions. I understand the distinction between the situations, but, in my assessment, it will only be relevant for the purposes of applying article 38 and does not imply a non-application of what results from article 37", he framed.

Enea Mihaj started in Famalicão's last two matches, but now misses the second of four duels under the command of newcomer Armando Evangelista, as does left-back Francisco Moura, who was suspended when Sporting was originally scheduled to visit, postponed on February 3 due to a lack of police forces at the venue.

Famalicão, eighth placed, with 35 points, hosts the isolated leader Sporting, with 74, starting at 8:15 pm today, at the Famalicão Municipal Stadium, in a late match of the 20th round of the championship, refereed by Fábio Veríssimo, from the Leiria association.