Vasco Wins but Controversy Erupts Over Refereeing

Vasco da Gama’s 3-1 victory over Bahia at São Januário was overshadowed by sharp criticism of the officiating. Both coaches, Fernando Diniz and Rogério Ceni, openly questioned the decisions made by referee João Vitor Gobi and the VAR team led by Gilberto Rodrigues Castro Junior.

The match featured several contentious incidents. Bahia’s Jean Lucas was sent off for an elbow on Barros after a VAR review, while earlier a dangerous tackle by Rezende on Coutinho went unpunished with only a foul. Later, Sanabria received just a yellow card for a reckless challenge on Puma Rodríguez, even after VAR consultation. Ceni also pointed to an early clash in which Barros allegedly struck Luciano Juba in the face.

In his remarks, Ceni lamented what he described as inconsistent criteria, accusing the VAR of “choosing which plays to influence” and insisting those choices defined the outcome.

Diniz, while admitting he had not seen all the disputed actions, maintained that at least two challenges merited straight red cards. He added that the referee shifted his approach as the game went on, breaking its rhythm and undermining the spectacle.

The strongest words came from Vasco’s sporting director, Admar Lopes, who made an unusual appearance before Diniz’s press conference. He branded the officiating “scandalous,” stressing that three incidents endangered the physical integrity of his players. “If we truly want to protect the game and the footballers, we cannot have referees like this,” he said.