The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) has acknowledged a mistake in the decision to disallow a goal scored by Palmeiras defender Bruno Fuchs during Sunday’s match against Remo in Belém, according to an official statement released by the club on Monday.
During a routine meeting with the Refereeing Commission, the CBF conceded that the goal, which came in second-half stoppage time, should have stood. Referee Rafael Klein (RS) initially disallowed the goal after VAR official Rafael Traci recommended an intervention, citing a handball by Palmeiras forward Flaco López before Fuchs’ finish.
In its statement, Palmeiras clarified that it did not demand punishment for either the referee or the VAR official. The club, however, referenced a previous case involving referee Ramon Abatti Abel, who was suspended by the Superior Court of Sports Justice (STJD) for errors in a São Paulo vs. Palmeiras match last season, to question the consistency of sanctions applied to refereeing officials.
“FIFA is losing its way with rule updates,” said commentator André Rizek regarding the disallowed goal.
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“Simplistic solutions, adopted solely to provide momentary satisfaction to the external environment or third parties, will not contribute to the evolution of refereeing or Brazilian football,” read an excerpt from the club’s statement.
With the draw in Belém, Palmeiras saw its lead over second-placed Flamengo in the Brasileirão shrink from six to four points. The São Paulo side’s next match is on Wednesday against Jacuipense in the fifth round of the Copa do Brasil.
Full text of Palmeiras’ statement:
“Palmeiras announces that, in a meeting held this Monday (11) with representatives of other Série A clubs, the CBF Refereeing Commission acknowledged the error made by the officiating team in disallowing the goal scored by defender Bruno Fuchs in second-half stoppage time against Remo in the Brazilian Championship.
During the meeting, Palmeiras – represented by football director Anderson Barros – again demanded action to prevent serious errors like this from recurring, under the risk of compromising the competition’s credibility.
The club emphasizes that at no point did it request penalties for the center referee or VAR, understanding that all professionals, including the best, are susceptible to mistakes. Moreover, it is not Palmeiras’ role, nor any other club’s, to interfere in CBF decisions, which have made important investments to improve Brazilian refereeing.
However, in this context, it is essential to reflect on the treatment given to referee Ramon Abatti Abel, who was severely penalized by the CBF and STJD a few months ago due to events in the São Paulo vs. Palmeiras classic, also in the Brasileirão.
Simplistic solutions, adopted solely to provide momentary satisfaction to the external environment or third parties, will not contribute to the evolution of refereeing or Brazilian football.”