Paulista FA suspends referee after controversy in Santos v Corinthians

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Central do Timão

·23 de enero de 2026

Paulista FA suspends referee after controversy in Santos v Corinthians

By Fabio Luigi / Central do Timão Editorial Team

The referee Lucas Canetto Bellote, who officiated the match between Santos and Corinthians on the night of last Thursday (22), at Vila Belmiro, for the fourth round of the first phase of the 2026 Campeonato Paulista, was suspended by the FPF (Federação Paulista de Futebol) Refereeing Committee this Friday (23). The information was initially reported by ESPN Brasil. As a result, he will not be on the refereeing roster for the fifth round of the state championship.

The ‘trigger’ for the referee’s suspension occurred at 47 minutes into the second half, when Santos launched a counterattack with Robinho Jr, who passed to Lautaro Díaz. The forward had a challenge with defender Gustavo Henrique at the edge of the penalty area and, after Gabriel Barbosa’s shot went over the goal, the referee reversed his decision and controversially called a foul on the Corinthians defender. From the resulting free kick, the Baixada Santista team managed to equalize.

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Photo: Jhony Inácio/Agência Paulistão

Right after the match, Gustavo Henrique used his social media to mock the refereeing of the match, posting a photo of his foot, which was swollen precisely after the incident with Lautaro Díaz. According to ESPN, members of the FPF’s top refereeing committee considered the referee’s handling of the match to be ‘terrible’—not only because of the crucial incidents in the game, but also due to the lack of consistency in issuing cards and managing the classic.

Furthermore, according to Meu Timão, president Osmar Stabile contacted the president of the Federação Paulista de Futebol (FPF), Reinaldo Carneiro Bastos, regarding dissatisfaction with the match officiating. As reported by the portal, Lucas Canetto Belotte was even scheduled to be the VAR for the match between Capivariano and Primavera this Saturday (24), at 5pm (Brasília time), before being suspended by the entity.

After the controversies and the 1-1 draw in the Alvinegro classic, Corinthians remains focused on the Campeonato Paulista. That’s because, next Sunday (25), at 8:30pm (Brasília time), the Alvinegro team visits Velo Clube at Estádio Benito A. Castellano, for the fifth round of the first phase of the state championship. Currently, the Corinthians team occupies seventh place in the overall standings with five points—only the top eight advance to the knockout stage.

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