Corinthians midfielder on red card, ref assault in U20 Brasileirão | OneFootball

Defensive midfielder Luiz Gustavo Bahia spoke out on social media after the sending-off and the controversy involving the refereeing in Corinthians’ 1-0 loss to Vasco da Gama last Saturday (16), in the 12th round of the Brazilian Under-20 Championship.

The Corinthians midfielder was sent off in the first half of the match played in Rio de Janeiro and, shortly after receiving the red card, reacted angrily toward referee Gustavo Alencar Rodrigues. After the match, Bahia posted an apology and acknowledged his mistake during the game.

Photo: Reproduction / Instagram

“Today, my team and I were unfortunately harmed by the refereeing, but nothing justifies my attitude toward the referee. I take full responsibility for my actions and treat this as a learning experience. We remain focused on our goals, working and improving every day. Everything passes!”, the player wrote.

Bahia had already received a yellow card in the 28th minute of the first half. The foul, in fact, led to the play that ended with the goal scored by Andrey Fernandes, which secured Vasco’s victory.

In first-half stoppage time, the defensive midfielder received a second booking and was sent off. According to the match report, the referee justified the play as follows:

“To trip or attempt to trip an opponent in a reckless manner while challenging for the ball.”

After being sent off, the Corinthians player showed irritation with the refereeing decision and had to be restrained by teammates. The incident was also recorded by the referee in the official match report.

“I report that, after being sent off, the player assaulted me by chest-bumping me and was restrained by his teammates. As he left the field of play, he said the following words: ‘He’s f***ing around, there ain’t no kid here’.”

Because of his conduct, Luiz Gustavo Bahia may be charged by the Superior Court of Sports Justice (STJD). The case may fall under Article 254-A of the Brazilian Code of Sports Justice, which concerns the practice of physical aggression against a member of the refereeing team. If he is charged and later convicted, the defensive midfielder could receive a suspension of between four and 12 matches.

On the field, the result kept Corinthians under pressure in the Brasileirão Under-20 standings. Now, the black-and-white side turns its attention to the derby against Palmeiras, valid for the 13th round of the national competition. The Derby is scheduled for Tuesday (19), at 6 p.m. (Brasília time), at Fazendinha.

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