April 17 – The Brazilian Confederation of Football (CBF) has sidelined three referees after controversial decisions marred the opening day of the Brazilian championship at the weekend.
On Saturday, Brazil’s Serie A league season kicked off, but several matches, including Atletico Goianiense vs Flamengo, Vasco da Gama vs Gremio and Corinthians vs Atletico Mineiro, were the object of controversy as clubs and players contested match officials’ decisions.
The CBF has responded by sending Flávio Rodrigues de Souza, André Luiz Skettino and Yuri Elino da Cruz, back to the training pitch. The CBF said the three officials will not even officiate in matches in the lower division for the time being.
Adson Batista, the president of the Goias-based club who suffered an injury-time defeat to Tite’s Flamengo, said: “Regarding the refereeing, a good part of it is a shame, it’s a mafia. They enter the field to manufacture results. I live football 24 hours a day and I earn everything through sweat, through work. I have a team that has no debt, and that is balanced. Playing serious football is very difficult. Flamengo doesn’t need that, it’s a great club and has a lot of quality. Atlético-GO played on equal terms.”
Gremio also called the refereeing in their match “a shame”.
Expressing their dissatisfaction, an Atletico Mineiro statement said: “The biggest championship in the country cannot have refereeing like the one seen in our game this Sunday. Atlético requires a referee who complies with the guidelines presented by the refereeing committee for the Brasileirão and a VAR who speaks out in the face of obviously violent plays. The club will make a formal complaint to the CBF this week.”
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