Corinthians seek ref audio over alleged intimidation v Internacional | OneFootball

Corinthians decided to file an official complaint with the CBF Refereeing Commission after the loss to Internacional last Sunday in Porto Alegre, in the first leg of the Copa do Brasil round of 16. In addition to the complaint, the club also requested access to the audio of referee Alex Gomes Stefano’s communication during the match.

According to reports made by the players to the coaching staff and club officials, an incident involving Matheuzinho prompted the board’s initiative. During a complaint from the full-back, Alex Gomes Stefano allegedly responded with the phrase: “I want to see you do that outside.”

Photo: William Abi/CBF

The black-and-white club’s management believes the statement may have been a form of intimidation toward the players and intends to verify, through the recorded dialogue between the refereeing team and VAR, whether the situation really happened as reported.

The referee’s alleged remark sparked strong indignation among Corinthians players. Right after the final whistle, goalkeeper Hugo Souza headed toward the refereeing crew visibly furious and had to be restrained by teammates and members of the coaching staff. The match ended with a 2-0 victory for Internacional.

As they left the pitch, both Hugo Souza and Rodrigo Garro avoided publicly detailing the reasons for their anger. Both admitted dissatisfaction with the refereeing performance but chose not to go further with their criticism for fear of disciplinary punishment.

Before coach Fernando Diniz’s press conference, football executive Marcelo Paz also harshly criticized the refereeing. The official complained about the seven yellow cards shown to Corinthians players, disputed a penalty not awarded for a foul on Matheus Bidu, and said the referee’s behavior on the field intimidated the team’s players.

In addition to requesting access to the refereeing audio, the board formally filed its complaint with the Refereeing Commission. At the same time, Corinthians’ legal department is preparing to send an official letter to the CBF reinforcing the club’s dissatisfaction with the handling of the match.

Corinthians’ stance drew a response from Internacional. This Monday, the club from Rio Grande do Sul released an official statement saying it is monitoring developments following the first leg of the Copa do Brasil round of 16 and stressed that it has already taken measures to defend its interests. Colorado also said it remains in contact with the relevant authorities and argued that the decisive match should be played with full respect for the rules, transparency, and impartiality – see the statement at the end of the article.

After the 2-0 defeat in the first round-of-16 match, Corinthians will have a difficult mission in the second leg. To advance directly to the quarterfinals, the team will need to beat Internacional by three or more goals at Neo Química Arena. If they level the aggregate score with a two-goal win, the place will be decided on penalties. The match is scheduled for this Thursday at 8 p.m. (Brasília time) and will be officiated by Felipe Fernandes de Lima.

Read the official statement published by Internacional:

Sport Club Internacional has been closely following the public statements and developments that took place after the first leg of the Copa do Brasil round of 16.

Since last night, the Club has been acting continuously to defend its interests and the integrity of the tournament, maintaining dialogue with the relevant authorities and taking the appropriate measures so that the decisive match takes place with absolute respect for the rules and sporting merit.

Given the importance of the match and the atmosphere created around the contest, Internacional considers it appropriate for the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) to provide institutional oversight during the game, reinforcing the conditions necessary for the match to take place with transparency, balance, and safety.

Sport Club Internacional reaffirms that qualification for the next round must be determined solely and exclusively by the teams’ performance on the field. The Club will not accept any attempt at external influence and will continue to act firmly to safeguard the tournament’s impartiality, integrity, and credibility.

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