Gaúcha federation official for Inter v Corinthians in Copa do Brasil | OneFootball

Next Thursday (6), at 8 p.m., Corinthians will host Internacional at Neo Química Arena for the second leg of the 2026 Copa do Brasil round of 16. The first match, played last Sunday (2) and marked by refereeing controversies, continues to generate developments behind the scenes at both clubs.

According to information first published by ge.globo, the team from Rio Grande do Sul will have a representative from the Rio Grande do Sul Football Federation (FGF) at Neo Química Arena for the decisive match. The report said Internacional’s board chose to take this step to protect itself amid Corinthians’ complaints about referee Alex Gomes Stefano’s performance in the first leg.

Photo: Rio Grande do Sul Football Federation

However, so far, the FGF has not yet decided who will represent Internacional at Neo Química Arena. In addition, according to ge.globo, the president of the Rio Grande do Sul Federation, Luciano Hocsman, has been in constant talks with Colorado president Alexandre Barcellos and with Netto Góes, CBF’s refereeing director, since last Sunday’s match (2).

In 2025, Hocsman was even appointed, at the invitation of CBF president Samir Xaud, as head of delegation for the Brazilian National Team in the matches against Bolivia and Chile in the South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup. The Rio Grande do Sul entity is monitoring the situation behind the scenes regarding the match and seeks to strengthen its support for Internacional while, at the same time, not questioning or holding Timão responsible for any possible influence over refereeing matters.

After last Sunday’s match (2), Corinthians football executive Marcelo Paz gave a statement before coach Fernando Diniz’s press conference. In it, the executive revealed that Timão players reported a series of intimidations by referee Alex Gomes Stefano. One of them was allegedly directed at right-back Matheuzinho and immediately triggered irritation from goalkeeper Hugo Souza.

The topic was addressed with the number 1 and center-back Gabriel Paulista in the mixed zone at Beira-Rio, but both avoided going into details about what happened. As he left the pitch, midfielder Rodrigo Garro was another to speak on the matter. The day after the clash, Corinthians requested the VAR audio from the CBF following the referee’s alleged attempts at intimidation, which also prompted a response from Internacional through an official statement.

On its social media, Corinthians also addressed two controversial incidents. The first involved left-back Matheus Bidu, who was pulled inside the box by an Internacional defender in stoppage time. Alvinegro believes a penalty should have been awarded, but Alex Gomes Stefano did not even go to the VAR monitor for a review. In another incident, the club from Parque São Jorge refers to a foul suffered by Garro, still in the first half, inside the area.

Amid the pressure behind the scenes, the refereeing crew for the second leg has been defined. Felipe Fernandes de Lima (MG) will be the referee, with Victor Hugo Imazu dos Santos (PR) and Felipe Alan Costa Oliveira (MG) as assistants. The fourth official and VAR will be Wanderson Alves dos Santos (MG) and Rodrigo Nunes de Sá (SP), respectively.

Timão’s accumulated prize money in this edition of the Copa do Brasil

It is worth remembering that, in the current edition of the Copa do Brasil, Corinthians has accumulated R$ 5 million in prize money, with R$ 2 million coming just from participation in the fifth stage and the rest for securing a spot in the round of 16 by beating Barra-SC 1-0 in both matches, with goals from Jesse Lingard and Yuri Alberto, respectively.

The club from Parque São Jorge has four Copa do Brasil titles in its history (1995, 2002, 2009 and 2025), the most recent of them coming last year, beating Vasco da Gama 2-1 in the final at the Maracanã. Before that, Timão knocked out: Novorizontino (third round), Palmeiras (round of 16), Athletico-PR (quarterfinals), Cruzeiro (semifinals) and Vasco da Gama (final).

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