The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) defined that referee Flávio Rodrigues de Souza will referee the game between Vasco and Coritiba this Thursday (21), at the São Januário stadium, and Rodrigo D’Alonso Ferreira will be responsible for the match’s VAR. When they learned about the entity’s choices, the Vasco fans recalled that the referees had already been involved in controversies against the Rio team and demanded that the directors take some measure against the selection of the refereeing team.
In the case of judge Flávio Rodrigues de Souza, the controversy occurred at the end of the 2020 Brazilian Championship, played until the beginning of 2021. In the match between Vasco and Internacional, in the 36th round, the VAR had a technical problem and was unable to analyze the first goal scored by Rodrigo Dourado, in a questionable position, for the Colorados – Thiago Galhardo would expand and end the defeat of the Rio de Janeiro natives, who were relegated that year. The challenge to the referee is because in the game summary he wrote that “Nothing was unusual”, without reporting the problem on the video.
More recently, criticism of VAR Rodrigo D’Alonso comes due to alleged unmarked penalties in the 1-0 defeat to Santos on May 14, in the 6th round of the Brasileirão 2023. The club even sent a letter to the CBF, claiming that they had three penalties in favor of Gigante da Colina.
On social media, Vasco fans mobilized to ask for the replacement of field and video referees, marking the profiles of managers, especially the CEO of SAF, Lúcio Barbosa. For fans, the club must put pressure on the CBF due to the judges’ schedule for the game with Coritiba.
@LucioFBarbosa @Vasco da Gama @paulobracks do something immediately!!!
— Vitu (@VitorH1898) September 19, 2023
Vasco has to do something.
— Geysi Lima ◤✠◢ (@ValdirN00388591) September 19, 2023
Is there no pressure to change the arbitration while there is still time?
—Winchester ✠ (@xnightwlfx) September 19, 2023
Vasco has to request replacements for these guys. We will be robbed
— Carlos Harlen Marques (@HarlenCarlos) September 19, 2023
You have to apply pressure. Ask for change. Say that you are worried about the current scale. They may not change, but EVERYONE has to enter the field knowing that we are watching!
If you don’t do ANYTHING before, they’ll rob us once again and then there’s no point in publishing a rejection note!— Roney Bressan (@roneybressan) September 19, 2023
@LucioFBarbosa Hey brother, as a Vasco native, will you allow them to do this? You, as CEO, have to do everything possible, PUBLICLY, to avoid this, you have to make clear the incompetence and partiality of the CBF, brother.
— Whatever (@RMaximin0) September 19, 2023
Game against Coritiba represents the return of fans to São Januário
The duel against Coritiba is remarkable and symbolic for Vasco. After 91 days, the São Januário stadium will be able to receive fans. The club signed the Conduct Adjustment Term (TAC) with the Public Prosecutor’s Office and had the decision approved by the courts.
The last time the Vasco stadium welcomed its fans was on June 20, when the fans threw bombs and objects on the pitch, which was the reason for the ban for so long.
Vasco fans needed just four hours to completely sell out tickets for the match with Coxa. All tickets were still sold to fan members, without reaching the general public.
𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐎𝐒 𝐄𝐒𝐆𝐎𝐓𝐀𝐃𝐎𝐒
https://t.co/J4jMBat2MR#BeAGiant#Vasco da Gama pic.twitter.com/cSaHtoLJ68
— Socio Gigante (@sociogigante) September 18, 2023
The game is a direct confrontation in the fight for relegation. Currently in 18th place, Cruzmaltino has 20 points, five less than Goiás and Bahia, the first teams outside the Z4 – with the addition of having one game less than Esmeraldino and two of the Bahian team. Coritiba is bottom of the Brasileirão with just three wins in 22 matches.
Vasco’s next games
- Vasco x Coritiba – Brazilian Championship – São Januário Stadium – Thursday (21/9), at 7pm (Brasília time);
- América-MG x Vasco – Brazilian Championship – Arena Independência – Monday (25/09), at 8pm (Brasília time);
- Santos x Vasco – Brazilian Championship – Vila Belmiro – Saturday (01/10), at 4pm (Brasília time).