Juventude criticise officiating after Gauchão exit to Grêmio | OneFootball

A day after their Gauchão semi-final defeat to Grêmio on penalties, Juventude issued a statement criticising the officiating. The match at Alfredo Jaconi finished 1-1 in normal time.

The club said in a statement that refereeing errors were decisive, centring on the move that led to Viery’s equaliser at 25 minutes of the second half. At the throw-in, Pavon had one foot fully inside the pitch, which is illegal, yet assistant Fagner Bueno Cortes did not flag it.

The on-field team led by referee Rafael Rodrigo Klein did not spot the infringement, and VAR did not invite a review because restarts are not subject to intervention.

There was also an off-the-ball incident at 35 minutes of the first half, described as aggression by an opponent against a Juventude player, which was not sent for VAR analysis. At 14 minutes, Marcos Paulo headed the ball onto a defender’s arm, but an attacking foul was awarded.

References were also made to the 2024 final and the 2025 semi-final, both against Grêmio, as directly influenced by irregular incidents, without details. It was stressed that the integrity of those who run football in Rio Grande do Sul is not in question, and that such episodes should not recur from 2027.

Source: Globo.com