Belenenses named nine players against Benfica due to Covid-19 outbreak

were forced to take to the field with just nine players, including two goalkeepers, in their starting eleven after 17 players and staff tested positive for COVID-19 before the match.

The club president did not formally seek a postponement, so the meeting proceeded. And, predictably, that swiftly moved to correction. And thus from the very first seconds, with a goal conceded which was only the first in a lengthy sequence.

At halftime,

were leading 7-0. Belenenses players took a long time to return to the pitch. When they returned from the locker room, they were only seven for the kick-off, in front of the misty eyes of their president. The ball was cleared into touch immediately, João Monteiro lay down on the ground and demanded to come out.

The small Lisbon club, therefore, had only 6 players on the field, an insufficient number to be able to officially finish a football match. The referee then whistled the end of the game, Belenenses losing by forfeit.

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