São Paulo v Cruzeiro: CBF picks ref in Hulk row for Brasileirão | OneFootball

São Paulo already knows who will referee its next Brasileirão match. The team hosts Cruzeiro at Morumbi on Saturday (4) at 6:30 p.m. (Brasília time) in the 10th round of the national competition.

In a public hearing held by the CBF at Granja Comary, in Teresópolis (RJ), the entity decided that Rodrigo Pereira, from Pernambuco, will lead the refereeing crew for Tricolor’s clash against the Minas Gerais side.

As the CBF usually states, the selection of referees is determined by taking into account the stages of the competition, the importance and degree of complexity of each match, as well as the referees’ qualifications, fitness, and technical performance. The entity will later publish the full list of officials on its official website.

Rodrigo became nationally known because of a clash with Hulk in a 2024 Brasileirão match. In Atlético-MG vs. Palmeiras, the referee awarded a foul to Atlético on the striker, who got up already complaining and received his first yellow card.

Hulk kept arguing with Rodrigo Pereira until he was shown a second yellow and sent off, much to the striker’s fury. In the match report, Rodrigo José Pereira de Lima did not mention any insult, but cited two situations: “He came toward me provocatively, standing face to face with me and shouting in a disrespectful manner.”

But the story did not end there. Days later, Atlético-MG filed a Notice of Infraction with the Office of the Prosecutor of the Superior Court of Sports Justice (STJD) against the referee, who was summoned a week later to explain to the STJD the issuing of the two yellow cards that led to striker Hulk’s dismissal.

In this 2026 Brasileirão, the 39-year-old referee has officiated six matches, none involving Tricolor. The most recent was the 1-1 draw between Corinthians and Flamengo.

São Paulo is trying to bounce back in the league after three straight matches without a win. Before the completion of the 9th round, the team sits 4th in the table, and hosts Cruzeiro, who are 18th with just 7 points.

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