Absurd! CBF shares VAR audio from Flamengo v Botafogo row, outrage

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Coluna do Fla

·16. Oktober 2025

Absurd! CBF shares VAR audio from Flamengo v Botafogo row, outrage

Luiz Araújo got stepped on the foot inside the area, the referees talked and didn't call anything

The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) released, on Wednesday (15), the audio of the VAR analysis in the controversial play between Flamengo and Botafogo. In the material, however, it is possible to hear that the assistant states there is a stepping by Allan on Luiz Araújo's foot inside the area.

Check out the dialogue in the video referee's booth during the play:

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Assistant: Better stop, Alex.
Assistant: The Flamengo player touches the ball and the Botafogo player just steps on his foot.
Assistant: It's inside the area.
Assistant: What's the field narrative?
Alex: Normal game contact, Ricardo. There was a lateral dispute with a low entry that is not foul-worthy to me. Analyze where the ball is, if the possession was defense or attack.
Assistant: I see very light contact. I don't see a clear stepping, he aims for the ball and didn't even have the possibility to continue. The play is not impacted by this contact, correct?
Alex: Correct.
Assistant: Everything checked, you can proceed. There's light contact that doesn't impact the continuation of the play, he didn't even have the possibility to get the ball further ahead, it was an insignificant game contact.

In other words, even with a stepping inside the area, the assistant did not call Alex Gomes Stefano to go to the monitor to analyze. Thus, the field referee let the game continue, still at 0-0.

Besides Alex, the refereeing team included assistants Rodrigo Figueiredo Henrique Correa (RJ) and Victor Hugo Imazu dos Santos (PR), the 4th referee Lucas Paulo Torezin (PR), the VAR Rodolpho Toski Marques (PR), and the VAR assistants Diogo Carvalho Silva (RJ) and Diego Pombo Lopez (BA).

How did the play occur?

At 32 minutes of the first half, Luiz Araújo received the ball inside the area and ended up being brought down by midfielder Allan, who stepped on the Flamengo player. PC de Oliveira, a former referee and currently a refereeing commentator, stated that the infraction should have been called.

Does it cause outrage at Flamengo?

Thus, Arrascaeta reflected on the moment Brazilian football is going through, as the referees have stolen the spotlight. Then, Filipe Luís stated that the lack of criteria from the referees is irritating because it's easy to call against Flamengo, but the opposite is difficult.

What should Flamengo be concerned about?

After thrashing Botafogo, however, Flamengo hopes the players will be the protagonists on Sunday (19), against Palmeiras, in the leaders' duel of the Brasileirão. Thus, the ball rolls from 4 PM (Brasília time), at Maracanã, with full coverage from Coluna do Fla.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.