Léo Pereira: Referee disrupted penalty, explains unique celebration

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·26 September 2025

Léo Pereira: Referee disrupted penalty, explains unique celebration

Léo Pereira scored a stunning penalty against Estudiantes (ARG)

Cool as ice, Léo Pereira was one of the Flamengo players to score in the penalty shootout against Estudiantes (ARG), in a match that put the Rubro-Negro in the semifinals of the Libertadores. The number 4 revealed that he was disturbed by the referee before taking his shot.

That little walk there, let me tell you... There are some tips we get from the goalkeepers during the week to help with penalties, which I won’t share. It’s a mental war. I placed the ball on the penalty spot, and the referee tried to throw me off by telling me to put the ball further back. And I was thinking: “Man, just let me take the penalty” –, said Léo Pereira.

HOW DID LÉO PEREIRA CELEBRATE AGAINST ESTUDIANTES?

With great style, Léo Pereira sent the ball into the top corner past Fernando Muslera, taking the breath away from the Flamengo fans watching the match. In his celebration, the defender made a hand gesture, joking that the shot was “so-so.”

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The crowd was making a deafening noise. There, focused, I was very happy with the shot. I celebrated with the “so-so” gesture, because it was really a great goal. It wasn’t provocation, it was more of a relief. It was my first instinct to celebrate like that. I’m very happy to have helped and secured qualification –, added Léo.

HOW DID FLAMENGO QUALIFY AGAINST ESTUDIANTES?

After winning 2-1 at Maracanã, Flamengo only needed a draw last Thursday (25th) in La Plata. However, the home team opened the scoring in stoppage time of the first half, sending the match to penalties.

In the shootout, which featured the “so-so” shot from Léo Pereira, Flamengo converted all their penalties. On the other hand, Estudiantes were stopped twice by Rossi. Therefore, the Most Beloved is guaranteed in the semifinals to face Racing (ARG) at the end of October.

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