Grêmio challenge VAR after goal ruled out against Botafogo | OneFootball

Grêmio lost 3-2 to Botafogo this Wednesday the 16th at Nilton Santos Stadium, in the 21st round of the Brazilian Championship, and disputed the refereeing. The main target was Carlos Vinícius’ goal, disallowed in the 45th minute of the second half, which could have secured the equalizer.

The play was reviewed by the video assistant referee with the help of semi-automated offside technology. The review pointed to an irregular position by the Grêmio center-forward, with the call based on the position of the player’s shoulder.

For Rafael Lima, Grêmio’s vice president of football, the decision did not provide enough certainty to justify disallowing the goal. The executive spoke after the match and described the episode as part of a string of decisions that, according to him, have been hurting the club.

Executive questions the technology’s accuracy

Rafael Lima’s main criticism was aimed at the interpretation of the play. He argued that the images did not provide an unequivocal conclusion about the offside and questioned the use of the technology in what he considered a doubtful situation.

“The images make it clear that, at the very least, that play is inconclusive. And when a play is inconclusive, level in an offside situation, it has always favored the attack. What we saw here today was a disgrace. Technology being used to harm the team that scored the goal,” he said.

Carlos Vinícius’ goal came in the final minutes of a match in which Botafogo built its lead with two goals from Danilo Santos and another from Álvaro Montoro. Jovane Cabral and Gustavo Martins scored for Grêmio.

The defeat left the club from Rio Grande do Sul with 26 points in 16th place in the Brazilian Championship. The result kept the team close to the bottom of the table and increased the weight of the refereeing incidents cited by the club’s management.

Grêmio demands answers from the CBF

Rafael Lima also connected the Nilton Santos incident to other Grêmio matches. He mentioned the games against Bragantino and Vitória, in which, according to him, the CBF itself later acknowledged refereeing mistakes.

In one of the cases, for example, the governing body reportedly stated that a goal by the Tricolor Imortal should not have been disallowed. In the other, it was understood that an opposing player should have been sent off. The executive’s criticism, therefore, was not limited to the decision made in Rio de Janeiro.

“It’s a disgrace. Points are being systematically taken away from Grêmio. There’s no use professionalizing refereeing. We are being harmed game after game and nothing happens. Either the CBF gets its act together and starts treating Grêmio equally,” he concluded.

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