The Financial Times reports that Portugal Telecom yesterday cast doubt on whether Telefonica would succeed in its attempt to buy the Portuguese telecoms company out of their Brazilian mobile phone joint venture. “In footballing terms, Telefónica appears to be offside and we will have to see what the referee decides,” said Zeinal Bava, Portugal Telecom’s chief executive, when questioned on the validity of Telefonica’s sale of an 8 percent stake in the Portuguese company.