Flamengo Outraged by Refereeing in Libertadores Clash Against Estudiantes

Flamengo defeated Estudiantes 2-1 at the Maracanã in the first leg of the Copa Libertadores quarterfinals, but the victory was overshadowed by fierce criticism of referee Andrés Rojas, per TyC Sports. The sending off of Gonzalo Plata in the 82nd minute sparked outrage from players and staff, who claimed the Colombian official severely harmed their chances.

Samuel Lino voiced his frustration: “The senseless red card, invented fouls, yellow cards that weren’t yellows. For us, everything; for Estudiantes, nothing.” Goal scorer Guillermo Varela added that the referee’s decisions consistently disrupted Flamengo’s control of the game.

Head coach Filipe Luis went even further: “The referee wanted to be the protagonist. He ignored key plays, acted arrogantly, and was permissive toward the opponent. I hope he never officiates in the Libertadores again.” Sporting director José Boto also condemned the officiating, insisting a clear penalty on Lino was ignored: “It is scandalous and shameful to see this in South America’s top competition.”

The most controversial incident came when Plata was shown a second yellow card after a duel with Facundo Rodríguez. The Ecuadorian forward appeared to win the ball but was judged to have committed a foul. Because it was a double booking, VAR could not overturn the decision, though it could have reviewed a potential penalty in the same sequence.

Guido Carrillo’s late goal gave Estudiantes hope heading into the return leg on Sept. 25 at Estadio UNO in La Plata. Flamengo, meanwhile, will be without Plata and has called on CONMEBOL to review the officiating.