The Argentine national team had a very complicated and controversial Copa América Brazil 2019in what was also the first major championship led by coach Lionel Scaloni, in which the albiceleste squad was only able to obtain the bronze medal by defeating the Chilean team in the decisive match for third place.
But despite this, the entire cameras and reflectors were taken by the semi-final match where the Argentine team They were defeated 2 goals to zero against the local team, Brazil, in a very controversial match, especially due to the refereeing of Ecuadorian Roddy Zambrano.
Anger and disputes to the limit
The Argentine team’s annoyance with the main referee was due to the fact that they considered that they had not whistled him two penalties in favor; a foul by Dani Alves on Sergio ‘El Kun’ Agüero inside the area and also, what was most scandalous, an elbow from Arthur on the central defender Nicolás Otamendi, both actions in the opinion of Scaloni and his coaching staff were not whistled.
After almost 5 years of said tournament, the main referee of that match spoke for the first time and commented on the reason why he did not blow the maximum penalty and also let us know what Lionel Messi told him in that same match, after finishing the match.
In dialogue with the YouTube channel Federación Postera, Zambrano commented the following: “In that match there was actually a lot of commotion because Argentina lost. And obviously they ended up blaming me. There was a penalty play, which everyone knows. It was a penalty, and I didn’t see it on the field. And the VAR obviously didn’t call me. So, in that sense, they told me you can continue and we continued, like a normal game.”
“If I had seen it, it would be logical that I would charge it. If I saw that play, I called a penalty kick. I sanctioned him”, acknowledged the referee. Furthermore, he commented that this failure was the main reason why he was away from highly relevant competitions and matches: “That was the most transcendental play and, obviously, as Messi we know what it is… A word from him sounds throughout the world . They worked for the finest thing, which was arbitration. And well, they took me out. Now look what’s nice about football. Now I have revenge and I return as VAR.”
Zambrano recognized his mistake without any type of limitation
Zambrano had recognized at that time some error made in the decision they made in the referee’s shortlist for not having called the penalties, but this was the first occasion where the referee spoke without any type of limitations.
Messi spoke with Zambrano after the final result
The referee also revealed a conversation he had with the current captain of the Argentina national team.: “He told me that he charged the small ones because Brazil was local, and all that. But she never insulted me or disrespected me. These are things that are talked about on the court, but he was never rude to me, nor did he ever insult me or anything like that.”
Messi complained about the refereeing decisions in said tournament
“I have a lot of anger. He didn’t deserve that red. We do not have to be part of this corruption. They disrespected us throughout the Cup. Corruption and the referees do not allow people to enjoy football and the show,” the captain of the Argentine team had stated during the competition held in Brazil.
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