Estrela da Amadora drew three goals apiece at Rio Ave's ground, in a 6th matchday duel marked by enormous drama and heated complaints from the tricolor team regarding the refereeing team.

At the end of the match, in the quick interview with Sport TV, Pepa did not hide his indignation at the penalty awarded against his team and took harsh aim at the referee's and VAR's decisions.

'There are situations that leave me perplexed and are very difficult to understand. The penalty incident is surreal, but that part is interpretation. What I don't understand is how, at the start of that incident, the ball goes out before the halfway line and the throw-in is taken ten or fifteen metres ahead, already past the halfway line. Honestly, I can't understand it,' fired the coach of the Tricolores.

The incident in question:

'They took two points from us. They rattled the players, they rattled the team... I have a dressing room in revolt. With so much technology, it is not acceptable. It is very sad and outrageous. But I am not taking credit away from Rio Ave, they were brave. There were two competent teams, but only two...,' he added.

Despite his frustration with the refereeing, Pepa praised the attitude of the men from Vila do Conde, lamenting only that the work and the lead built by his team were wiped out by an incident he considered incomprehensible.