Former FIFA referee Javier Castrilli has questioned the stance taken by Roberto Tobar, the current head of the Referees Commission, following the controversial clash between Yovany Campusano and Javier Altamirano during the match between Ñublense and Universidad de Chile.
The incident, which resulted in neither a red card nor a VAR intervention, sparked widespread criticism of referee Cristián Galaz. The official chose not to penalize the foul or consult the pitch-side monitor, a decision that Universidad de Chile immediately condemned.
Tobar defended Galaz’s interpretation during an appearance on the programCírculo Central. The official argued that the action was consistent with the context of the play and the player’s natural movement.
“It is understood that the fullback is going to clear the ball. There is a difference between a ball under control and one being contested. Here, there is full control and a natural movement to clear the ball, using force,” Tobar explained.
Castrilli’s response
Castrilli reacted to Tobar’s statements on social media. The former head of Chilean officiating did not mince words when assessing the current director’s explanation.
“It is just as mediocre to claim there was no intent as it is to argue that, because there was no intent, the ball was played first, thereby justifying the consequences. Mediocre,” the Argentine stated.
Castrilli maintained that the challenge warranted a stiffer penalty and noted that Campusano made no attempt to mitigate the intensity of the impact. Furthermore, the former FIFA referee drew a parallel between this incident and the recent foul by Marcelo Weigandt on Justo Giani in the Copa Libertadores.
That incident, which involved a Chilean team in the continental tournament, also failed to result in a sending-off. The Weigandt case remains a major point of contention in South American refereeing.
