The ANFP Referee Committee has upheld the interpretation made by referees Cristián Galaz and Piero Maza during the recent clash between Ñublense and Universidad de Chile. The committee decided not to penalize the incident involving Jovanny Campusano and Javier Altamirano, citing international officiating guidelines.
Roberto Tobar, head of the committee, confirmed that no disciplinary action will be taken against Galaz or VAR official Maza. However, the former referee noted that neither will be appointed as head referees for the upcoming matchday, as they may only serve as fourth officials.
The Lionel Messi Precedent
To support its stance, the committee presented the referees with footage of similar plays that do not warrant a red card. A key example cited was a 2024 incident in the CONCACAF Champions Cup, where defender Lukas MacNaughton collided with Lionel Messi without referee Marco Ortiz calling a foul.
“Messi tried to manufacture something out of nothing. I’ve tackled enough players in my career; it is what it is,” the Inter Miami defender stated following the match. The committee used this precedent to explain that the directive to avoid penalizing such contact comes directly from FIFA to national federations.
The organization acknowledged that different criteria were applied in the past, with players previously being sent off for similar challenges. However, Tobar emphasized that these situations are under constant review during referee training sessions.