VIDEO. Confusion of the day. In Brazil, a penalty was awarded for the second ball on the field

Tonight, in the eighteenth round of the Brazilian Serie A, one of the most titled clubs in the country, Flamengo, hosted modest Criciúma.

The match seemed to be heading towards a draw. The visitors scored first in the first half, and Flamengo equalized in the second half.

However, the main controversy occurred towards the end of the match. During another attack by the home team, Flamengo midfielder Everton found himself with the ball in the opponent's penalty area. However, besides the game ball, there was a second ball on the field. Criciúma midfielder Gustavo Barreto either confused the balls or decided to clear it, but the extra ball hit the game ball, disrupting Flamengo's attack.

Match referee Maguielson Lima Barbosa immediately blew the whistle and awarded a penalty to Flamengo. Barreto received a yellow card from the referee, possibly for illegal interference in the game or for unsportsmanlike behavior.

As a result, the former striker of Inter Milan and Benfica converted the penalty, and this goal proved decisive.

Fans online were outraged by the referee's decision, as it remains unclear which specific rule the referee referred to when awarding the penalty. Many are talking about biased officiating in favor of Flamengo.