Ref call on Superclásico finale: why Herrera gave no pen, no VAR | OneFootball

The end of the Superclásico, in which Boca won 1-0, ended in controversy over Blanco’s body check on the center-back. However, the referee explained to his officiating team why he did not consider it a foul.

The Superclásico in which Boca beat River 1-0 at the Monumental, on Matchday 15 of the Apertura Tournament, ended surrounded by controversy over a late play in which River appealed for a penalty after Lautaro Blanco made contact with Lucas Martínez Quarta, following a challenge from behind by the Boca player that left the defender sprawled on the ground. However, referee Darío Herrera was not called by VAR to review it and, after the match, he explained to his colleagues why he did not deem it a foul.

The controversial play was a long ball that found the defender standing in the box, positioned like a striker. Although the ball was getting past him, he was unable to turn around after Blanco charged into his back and left him on the ground. According to TyC Sports, once the match ended, the head referee told his assistants that he judged Blanco’s contact from behind on the River defender was not forceful enough to knock him down, but rather that the former Fiorentina player felt the contact and went to ground in an attempt to win a penalty.

Beyond that, the truth is that from the VAR booth, where Héctor Paletta was in charge, they clearly saw it the same way as the on-field referee, because they never called Herrera to review the play and determine whether there had been a foul or not.

However, those at River did not share the referee’s view. The most outspoken in his complaint was Martínez Quarta himself, who, along with a group of teammates, had gone to protest to Herrera as soon as he blew the final whistle. “Blanco has no intention of playing the ball. He comes straight at me to hit me, and my back is turned. I can’t go after it. Everyone saw it. VAR should have called him. I don’t know whether the comments during the week, when people came out and spoke, may have influenced anything. I want to believe in good faith and that it wasn’t like that. I respect Herrera, and mistakes are human,” said the center-back as he was leaving the stadium.

When the former Argentina international refers to “the comments during the week,” he is alluding to how Boca reacted to Herrera’s appointment ahead of the Superclásico. Although the Neuquén-born referee had officiated seven Superclásicos and Boca had lost only one, they argue that the last time he had to officiate a match of this kind there were several controversies that led to his suspension after the game. The freshest precedent was the clash at the Monumental in May 2023, when he awarded a stoppage-time penalty for a foul by Agustín Sandez that Miguel Borja converted, sparking a mass brawl.

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