Dorival Jr set for reunion with controversial referee against Athletico

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Central do Timão

·19 February 2026

Dorival Jr set for reunion with controversial referee against Athletico

By Henrique Vigliotti/Central do Timão Editorial Team

Corinthians faces Athletico in the second round of the 2026 Brazilian Championship at the Arena da Baixada in a match that will mark coach Dorival Jr’s reunion with a controversial referee.

The referee for the match, Rodrigo José Pereira, chosen by the CBF to officiate the game, was also the referee in the Internacional 1 x 1 Corinthians match at Beira Rio, where, after a VAR review, he awarded a controversial penalty against defender Cacá in the last play of the match, allowing the opponent at the time to score the equalizer.

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Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Ag. Corinthians

After the incident, Dorival Jr. protested vigorously to the referee and ended up receiving a red card. At the time, president Osmar Stabile and then executive football director Fabinho Soldado also spoke out publicly against the officiating, sending statements to the CBF and voicing their opposition to the committee.

Throughout his career, Rodrigo José Pereira has officiated eight Corinthians matches, with three wins for the team, two draws, and three losses, having awarded two penalties against Timão, as well as issuing 24 yellow cards and one red card.

Rodrigo will be in charge of the whistle in tonight’s game (19), assisted by Rodrigo Figueiredo Henrique Correa (RJ) and Schumacher Marques Gomes (PB). The fourth official and VAR will be Anderson Ribeiro Gonçalves (GO) and Wagner Reway (SC), respectively.

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