Porto striker apologises for penalty petulance
ByReuters
Published 09/07/2020 at 22:59 GMT
July 9(Reuters) - Porto striker Moussa Marega apologised for kicking the ball away and remonstrating with team mates after not being allowed to take a late penalty in the 3-1 win at Tondela on Thursday that took his side closer to claiming the Portuguese title.
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“Sorry for my behaviour. Now we need one win to become champions,” he said on social media after scoring in the victory which put his club within touching distance of the title.
Marega scored the second goal, setting the move up himself after winning possession in his own half and then sprinting onto the end of a searching midfield pass for an expert finish.
But he was angry near the end of the game after being fouled to earn a penalty. When he got up to take the kick, instructions came from the Porto bench for Fabio Vieria to take it instead.
Mali international Marega then picked up the ball and hoofed it away in a petulant display of anger.
Porto coach Sergio Conceicao insisted afterwards that the issue had been quickly resolved.
"Marega is a great professional. He works a lot. One moment does not make him less of a good player," he said.
"Everything is resolved, there is no issue, there was a misunderstanding before the penalty was taken. I have already settled it with the squad in the dressing room," he added.
The victory, followed by a draw for second-placed Benfica at Famalicao later on Thursday, means Porto need one more point to guarantee winning the league given their head-to-head record. (Writing by Mark Gleeson in Cape Town; Editing by Ken Ferris)
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