Referees need to take urgent action after Textor’s accusations

The lack of attitude from Brazilian referees is going beyond the limits. A category that receives accusations of manipulation of results and does not respond accordingly, borders on shamelessness.

In the statement given to the CPI of the Federal Senate, the owner of SAF Botafogo, John Textor, once again stated that there is manipulation on the part of arbitrators in Brazil and there is no reaction on the part of the National Arbitration Commission and the arbitrators themselves. You can’t stay here defending someone who doesn’t defend their own nature.

The only statement with a serious position was once again from Salmo Valentim, president of the National Association of Football Referees (Anaf), who, in an official note, called for the referees to stop the Brazilian Championship until these accusations are clarified in a once and for all.

“There is no other way: BRASILEIRÃO 2024 MUST BE STOPPED before they turn the VAR into a police case. I have received numerous phone calls from dissatisfied referees and there is already a large group that wishes, in protest to what is happening, to interrupt the Brazilian championship in the next rounds.

All of this occurs thanks to a horror show where the main protagonist is the former retired president of the CBF, Ednaldo Rodrigues, who is more concerned about his large salary at the entity, than, for example, paying the REFEREES who are working for free to CBF. Since last year, female referees have acted without pay in several national women’s tournaments. This clearly shows the setback that his management causes to Brazilian football and arbitration.

I have already said a few times that Wilson Seneme is unprepared to be in the position he assumed without any plans. By the way, what is his academic background?

You don’t need to be an expert on the subject to attest that the former director of referees at Conmebol, dismissed after pressure from some countries, out of common sense, given everything we are seeing and experiencing, should at least be removed. He has no command and made Brazilian arbitration reach rock bottom, being exposed in the Federal Senate by an inconsequential leader who, even without evidence, insists on saying that Brazil has referees who manipulate results. This not only puts VAR under suspicion, but can also cause serious damage to the image of arbitration.

For the sake of football, BRASILEIRÃO needs to be stopped! And a good number of referees are willing to give this cry for freedom because they can no longer tolerate such indifference and disregard from the president of the CBF who, out of respect for football, should be ashamed and resign!”

If nothing happens from now on, I will start to suspect the nature of these referees and I will start to think that Mr. Textor must be right.

This text does not necessarily reflect the opinion of A Gazeta.

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