After Superclásico, Héctor Paletta: ‘Dive, no penalty, I got threats’ | OneFootball

The referee in charge of the booth said the play between Blanco and Martínez Quarta was “borderline,” backed Herrera, and denied any favoritism toward Boca.

The Superclásico that Boca Juniors won against River Plate at the Monumental is still causing repercussions, and one of the key figures to come forward with explanations was Héctor Paletta, the VAR official. Speaking with C5N, the referee defended his performance and explained why he did not call Darío Herrera over for an on-field review in the controversial final play.

“The evidence supported the strong on-field decision. It was a borderline play,” Paletta said about Lautaro Blanco’s shove on Lucas Martínez Quarta, which River claimed should have been a penalty. According to his explanation, from the booth he did not find clear elements to overturn the call: “I did not have evidence of a clear error. It matched what had been called on the field.”

The referee detailed his view of the action and pointed to an exaggerated reaction from the River defender: “There is an arm placed on the back, but when he feels the contact, Martínez Quarta exaggerates the fall. It looked like he had been hit hard, but I did not see enough intensity.” Along those lines, he reaffirmed: “I maintain that it was not a penalty.”

He also compared that play with another incident in the match, in which Maximiliano Salas was penalized for a shove on Lautaro Di Lollo, and hinted that he did not consider that one a foul either, although it did not require VAR intervention.

Paletta also addressed suspicions about an alleged affinity with Boca, given that his brother, Gabriel Paletta, is a well-known Boca supporter. “I’m not a fan of any club. We are four brothers—one supports River and Gabriel supports Boca,” he clarified.

Beyond the football analysis, the referee showed concern about the personal consequences after the match: “My phone number was leaked, and I received calls and threats,” he said. He also denied reports linking him to income in cryptocurrencies: “That is completely false. Let them prove it, because that really does cause harm.”

With the backing of the refereeing authorities, Paletta tried to tone down the controversy, although the debate over the play will remain a hot topic in Argentine football.

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