Marcelo Paz, the executive director of Corinthians, has strongly criticized referee Anderson Daronco’s decision not to send off São Paulo midfielder Bobadilla following a controversial VAR review during Sunday’s derby at Neo Química Arena. The incident occurred when Bobadilla allegedly made an obscene gesture after scoring, but Daronco, after consulting the monitor, deemed it a display of passion rather than a red-card offense. Paz argued that the referee applied inconsistent criteria and vowed to raise the issue with the CBF’s arbitration commission.
The flashpoint came in the 40th minute of the first half, when Bobadilla dispossessed Raniele and set up Luciano to equalize for São Paulo. The Paraguayan then ran toward the Tricolor bench and made a hand gesture that VAR official Rodolpho Toski Marques flagged as potentially obscene. However, Daronco reviewed the footage and ruled it was not worthy of a red card. Paz disagreed, recalling two recent cases where Corinthians players were dismissed for similar actions.
“I’m speaking out today mainly because we won the game. This isn’t about losing—it’s about consistency. Everyone knows Corinthians had two players sent off in different matches for obscene gestures. The justification today was that Bobadilla didn’t touch his genital area. I don’t think that defines an obscene gesture. If you imagine that same gesture in a public square or a restaurant, it would be offensive to those present. So if it’s not acceptable outside football, it shouldn’t be inside football. It’s a matter of clear standards,” Paz said.
Prior incidents involving Corinthians players occurred in two consecutive Brasileirão matches. Allan was sent off against Fluminense, and André received a red card in the derby against Palmeiras, both for making hand gestures near their genital areas. In those cases, the VAR intervened and the referees upheld the expulsions.
Paz acknowledged that this is a relatively new issue in football, with VAR’s involvement in such calls being recent, which could lead to interpretation errors. Nevertheless, he confirmed he will formally question Daronco’s decision during a meeting with the CBF’s arbitration commission on Monday. “I understand this topic is new in football, and perhaps there isn’t full clarity on how to handle it. That’s why Daronco, a very experienced referee whom I respect, shouldn’t have let this slide. We’ve been punished twice recently. Either that action is allowed in football, or the referee was wrong. There’s no middle ground,” Paz concluded.
