The referee Fernando Espinoza has been suspended for one game by the Referee College after his poor performance in the match in which San Lorenzo defeated Atletico Tucuman 3-1 at the Jose Fierro stadium for the tenth round of the Professional League. In that game, Espinoza, among other things, sent off the home team’s captain, Guillermo “Bebe” Acosta, for an alleged push that Acosta had supposedly made when he had actually been pushed by his teammate Ignacio Maestro Puch. At the time, Espinoza showed the second yellow card to the Tucuman player and sent him off. Just two minutes into the game, he had also shown a red card to the “Decano” coach, Lucas Pusineri, for protesting. Upon leaving the field, Acosta insulted Espinoza while walking towards the dressing rooms, and later, after the game was over, he took the opportunity to criticize him harshly through whatever media outlet he could find. This led Espinoza to expand and make his report even tougher, but on Friday the Referee College decided to punish Espinoza and the Disciplinary Tribunal cleared Acosta, who was only given a one-game suspension that he had already served on Thursday in the goalless draw against Estudiantes in La Plata in the eleventh round. Meanwhile, the referee will not be able to officiate in the upcoming twelfth round on April 14, 2023. The controversial decision had repercussions, especially since it was the second time in less than a week that a similar situation arose in a match, with a misunderstanding between the referee and an Atlético Tucumán player leading to a red card. In the previous game against Arsenal, Gastón Saiz had been expulsed despite having been the victim of a foul. The Referee College defended its decision, arguing that the referee’s performance had been overall unsatisfactory, and not just in that particular play involving Acosta. However, the controversy remained, with many people questioning the impartiality of the officials and the quality of the refereeing in the league. For his part, Acosta expressed satisfaction at the outcome but regretted having to miss a game for no reason. He called on the referees to be more professional in their job and to avoid being influenced by external pressures. The incident served as a reminder of the importance of impartiality, transparency and fairness in sports, especially in soccer, where referees have a crucial role in determining the outcome of games. It also highlighted the need for better training and evaluation of the referees, as well as the need for more accountability and oversight in their work. As soccer continues to be one of the most popular sports in the world, efforts to improve and modernize the refereeing system will be necessary to maintain its integrity and credibility.
