From lower-league scandal to top-flight VAR: Zamora's bizarre call-up | OneFootball

Referee Daniel Zamora was stood down by the Argentine Football Association (AFA) and was not appointed as the main official for Matchday 27 of the Primera Nacional. The drastic decision by the refereeing authorities came after the scandalous penalty he awarded to Ferro Carril Oeste in their recent 1-0 win over All Boys, a call that sparked massive backlash on social media and strong protests from the entire Floresta squad.

Despite finding himself at the center of the storm in Argentina’s second division, Zamora will not be inactive next weekend. The official will be part of the technology team in the Professional Football League (LPF), where he will serve as Assistant VAR (AVAR) in the match between Estudiantes de La Plata and Newell’s Old Boys.

The play that sparked the controversy in Caballito

The trigger for his sanction came during the second half of the match played at the Arquitecto Ricardo Etcheverri Stadium. After a shot by Sebastián Corda, the ball struck All Boys defender Alejo Tabares squarely in the ribs. Even though the TV replay clearly showed that the player’s arms were tucked against his body and that the ball never touched his hands, Zamora awarded the penalty.

With no VAR technology in the Primera Nacional to correct the mistake live, the decision was irreversible. Emanuel Dening converted the penalty into a goal and secured all three points for the Caballito side, prompting outrage from the visitors and forcing the refereeing department to take action ahead of the next round in the second division.

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