Fortaleza protest refereeing after Grêmio, vow to appeal to CBF | OneFootball

Fortaleza released an official statement this Monday expressing outrage at the refereeing during the 2-2 draw with Grêmio last Sunday, in the 33rd round of the Brazilian Championship, at Arena Castelão.

The Ceará club complained about an incident involving Grêmio defender Kannemann and Tricolor defender Gastón Ávila in the second half of the match.

According to the statement, the Grêmio player “delivered a strong blow to the face” of Ávila inside the box, in a play that, according to Fortaleza, should have resulted in a penalty and a sending-off.

The club also criticized the lack of VAR review for the incident, calling the omission something that “compromises and directly interferes with the outcome of the match.”

Also in the statement, signed by CEO Marcelo Cunha da Paz, the Tricolor announced it will bring the case to the CBF Refereeing Working Group meeting to demand “formal clarifications and appropriate measures.”

With the draw, Fortaleza reached 30 points and remains in the second-to-last position in the Brasileirão. The next match for Leão do Pici will be next Wednesday, against Atlético-MG, at Arena MRV, at 8:30 p.m. (Brasília time).

Read Fortaleza's full statement

“Fortaleza Esporte Clube publicly expresses its deep indignation at an incident that occurred during last Sunday’s (9th) match against Grêmio.

In the second half, after a corner kick, Grêmio defender Kannemann delivered a strong blow to the face of player Gaston Ávila, inside the box, in a very clear manner. The very serious infraction, captured by images and cameras, is an indisputable penalty according to the current interpretation of football rules, and would require the consequent sending-off of the Grêmio defender.

It is perplexing that VAR did not even call the on-field referee to review the incident. Such omission compromises and directly interferes with the outcome of the match, harming Fortaleza Esporte Clube.

This Monday (10th), the Club will bring the case to the Refereeing Working Group (GT) meeting of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF), demanding formal clarifications and appropriate measures.

Marcelo Cunha da Paz, CEO of Fortaleza EC SAF Fortaleza, November 10, 2025”

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