Watch the whistle: ref with São Paulo baggage gets Mirassol clash | OneFootball

In the midst of a major crisis, São Paulo has yet another warning sign ahead of its next match, as the referee appointed to officiate Saturday’s (25) clash against Mirassol in the Brasileirão has a controversial history with Tricolor.

At a public hearing held at CBF headquarters in Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo native Raphael Claus was chosen to lead the officiating crew for São Paulo’s game as the home team, though it will be played at Brinco de Ouro in Campinas, since Morumbi will be occupied by concerts.

As CBF usually states, the selection of referees is defined by taking into account the stages of the competition, the importance and degree of complexity of each match, and the referees’ qualifications, fitness, and technical performance.

The controversial Claus will have Anderson Jose de Moraes Coelho and Leandro Matos Feitosa as his on-field assistants, both also representing the state of São Paulo. In charge of the VAR booth will be Rodrigo Carvalhaes de Miranda from Rio de Janeiro.

HISTORY WITH TRICOLOR

Raphael Claus is known for being intense in the way he handles matches and for not holding back on cards, especially red ones. One person who has already been punished by the referee’s strictness was former full-back and now director Rafinha, back when he was still a player, in São Paulo’s defeat to Palmeiras in October 2023 in the Brasileirão.

On that occasion, Rafinha was sent off for a heavy challenge on opposing forward Breno Lopes. In the match report, referee Raphael Claus mentioned provocations from the experienced No. 13.

“You referee really fucking well, but I think you’re a Palmeiras fan,” the São Paulo captain allegedly said. As he was leaving the field, the full-back was caught by TV cameras saying to someone: “Claus… Claus is a Palmeiras fan.” The fourth official, Lucas Canetto Bellote, also saw that moment and recorded it in the match report.

In this 2026 Brazilian Championship, Raphael Claus has not yet officiated any Tricolor matches. We hope his name is not the center of attention in the clash against Mirassol in Campinas.

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