Ex-FIFA referee: Flamengo’s Libertadores complaint exaggerated | OneFootball

Andrés Rojas ignored two penalties and caused the expulsion of forward Gonzalo Plata

The Flamengo fans were ‘upset’ with the refereeing in the 2-1 victory over Estudiantes (ARG). This is because referee Andres Rojas was at the center of several controversies throughout the match. Former FIFA referee Rafael Sanabria admitted the mistakes but pointed out that Flamengo’s complaints were exaggerated.

— He is a referee who perhaps does not understand certain things about the game. I have always criticized him for this. Technically, Andrés Rojas knows the game very well. But in terms of discipline, sometimes he is excessive and there are plays where the rules clearly state whether the card should be yellow or red. You need to have common sense — he said, before concluding:

— It is an exaggeration to report him, to complain directly to Conmebol. He did well in many situations during the game. But in this decision, he was wrong. Rojas is a respected referee here in Colombia. He has never had any complaints about mistreatment or foul language — concluded Rafael Sanabria, in an interview with ‘ESPN’.

What happened in the Flamengo vs. Estudiantes match?

The complaints from Flamengo against Rojas are varied. The Rubro-Negro laments a clear penalty not given to Samuel Lino at the start of the second half. In addition, the club saw an excess of yellow cards, especially the warnings to Saúl and Bruno Henrique.

However, the main incident of the match involved Gonzalo Plata. After being kicked by an Estudiantes player—which should have been a penalty for Flamengo—the referee called an offensive foul and showed a second yellow card to the Ecuadorian.

With one player less, Flamengo could not withstand the pressure from Estudiantes and conceded a goal in stoppage time. Thus, the match ended 2-1, and the Rubro-Negro will have a minimal advantage for the return leg. Therefore, Mengo will be able to draw in La Plata on Thursday (25th).

What is Flamengo’s next match?

Before thinking about the return leg of the Libertadores, Flamengo faces Vasco this Sunday (21st) in the Brasileirão. The match kicks off at 5:30 p.m. (Brasília time) at Maracanã. As usual, Coluna do Fla will bring all the details of the match.

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