Title rivals Flamengo and Palmeiras wage war of official statements

Title rivals Flamengo and Palmeiras wage war of official statements Flamengo issued a statement on the officiating in their match against Santos last Wednesday (8). Palmeiras then criticized that statement in an official release of their own this Friday (9). Flamengo initially argued that VAR failed to intervene in an incident that could have resulted in a red card for Santos' Barreal in the first half. They also criticized the decisions that led to Jorginho's sending-off and the first penalty awarded to Santos, followed by the awarding of a second penalty. Anderson Daronco, the match referee, and Rodolpho Toski Marques, the VAR official, were both named explicitly. Both have been appointed for Palmeiras vs. Corinthians next Sunday (11), something that concerns Flamengo. " C uriously, the same officials have been appointed to work next Sunday in the derby between Palmeiras and Corinthians, a match involving one of Flamengo's direct rivals in the title race ." Palmeiras, meanwhile, opened their statement by condemning their rivals' actions: " Although this stance comes as no surprise, given the repeated unethical conduct of the Rio club's current management, it is regrettable that a prominent institution in Brazilian football still resorts to outdated tactics to pressure match officials at a decisive stage of the season ." Palmeiras also addressed the alleged pressure being placed on Daronco. " Daronco must not carry the weight of events from a previous match into the Derby, nor be subjected to any kind of external pressure that could compromise his performance ." The results of matchday 29 once again left Flamengo and Palmeiras neck and neck in the standings. Flamengo lead with 61 points, compared with their rivals' 60. They also have a derby ahead, as they face Fluminense on the same Sunday (11). That match will kick off at the same time as the Derby. This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.