Executive says ref intimidated Corinthians in Copa do Brasil loss to Inter | OneFootball

On the night of this Sunday (2), Corinthians visited Internacional at Beira-Rio Stadium in the first leg of the 2026 Copa do Brasil round of 16 and was defeated 2-0. In the return leg, if they want to qualify for the quarterfinals, they will have to beat their opponent by at least a two-goal margin to take the tie to a penalty shootout.

Shortly after the final whistle, Corinthians football executive Marcelo Paz made a statement before coach Fernando Diniz’s press conference and criticized the refereeing of Alex Gomes Stefano. The official questioned the Brazilian Football Confederation’s (CBF) appointment and mentioned threats made by the referee toward Timão’s players.

Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Corinthians Agency

It is worth noting that Alex Gomes Stefano officiated the match between Vitória and Palmeiras on the night of last Wednesday (29) at Barradão Stadium, for the 21st round of the Brazilian Championship, and did not show a red card to Palmeiras midfielder Maurício after he elbowed Cacá, a center-back for the northeastern side.

On its social media after the match, Corinthians posted the play involving the unawarded penalty on left-back Matheus Bidu near the end of the second half, and a “foul” called by the refereeing crew against Rodrigo Garro in the first half.

“Not to justify the result, but as a broader point. A match with only 49 minutes of ball in play, when the recommended amount is 60 minutes. Seven cards for Corinthians, an absurd penalty not given to Corinthians on Bidu. It raises questions. In midweek this referee had a questionable performance, and this needs to be reconsidered by the CBF.”

“That appointment was made earlier. The referee has a poor performance in midweek and is then rewarded with a decisive match. Another point is the intimidation process on the field, where players are not allowed to speak up or express themselves. They are constantly being prevented from saying anything on the field, and off it too. The interviews lead to suspensions,” he began.

After the final whistle, in an interview with Amazon Prime, midfielder Rodrigo Garro did not hide his dissatisfaction with the referee. In light of this, Marcelo Paz spoke about the Corinthians players’ statements regarding the intimidation process by referees. The executive also said the club’s legal department is seeking to file a complaint on the matter with the CBF.

“It is a situation that seems targeted to me; it is very bad not to be able to take a stand and to be left with a lump in your throat. That is not good for football. I bring this up for reflection. It is not doing the game any good. Specifically regarding today’s match, our legal department is studying a formal complaint about the threatening tone toward our athletes.”

“This is something I want to bring forward for debate. It is not only about Corinthians, but it is going too far. This needs to be looked at very carefully and discussed. Constant intimidation has been happening not only in our matches. Let this serve as Corinthians’ record regarding today’s poor refereeing. I’ll end here and leave this official statement on behalf of the club,” he concluded.

Corinthians will face Internacional again next Thursday (6) at 8:00 p.m. (Brasília time) at Neo Química Arena in the second leg of the Copa do Brasil round of 16. It is worth noting that Timão has accumulated prize money of R$ 5 million in the competition so far, with R$ 2 million coming just from participation in the third round and the rest from reaching the round of 16 of the national knockout tournament.

The club from Parque São Jorge has reached at least the semifinals of the competition every year since 2022 and currently holds the status of reigning Copa do Brasil champion, a tournament it has won four times in its history (1995, 2002, 2009, and 2025).

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