Atlético Tucumán asked the AFA for a psychological examination of referee Espinoza after the scandal against San Lorenzo

The repercussions of excessive provocation that the referee Fernando Espinoza made against the players and coaching staff of Atletico Tucumán during the loss a Saint Lawrence do not stop This Sunday, after the midfielder Guillermo Bebe Acosta -expelled and denounced for repeated insults- shot with large bullets, was the president of the ‘Dean’, Mario Leitothe one who harshly accused the judge e she requested a psychological exam at the AFA this shows that he can continue to manage in the professional league.

Espinoza’s refereeing in Atlético Tucumán and San Lorenzo may go straight to Guinness… but what shouldn’t be done. Because a referee can be right or wrong in his decisions, but those of Espinoza, with his gestures and attitudes, served to make a game tense that was about to end in a scandal, with the players of the home team eliminated and the crowd was throwing projectiles at the pitch.game including a mobile phone.

“As I said in front of the press last night, after the last match against Boca I asked the AFA that Espinoza not lead us again, that’s why we were surprised this week when they appointed him referee against San Lorenzo. And, once nominated, there’s not much you can do there”Leito has opened a thread on his official account on the social network Twitter.

The memory of the also national deputy of the Frente de Todos was for the duel at the top last season, when Espinoza had another controversial performance just when the ‘Dean’ was defending his status as leader – he lost 2 to 1 – in front of which he then he ended up taking the job and getting the title under the guidance of Hugh Ibarra.

“After last night’s disastrous refereeing, I will not only ask again that he no longer lead Atlético Tucumán, but also that Espinoza be seriously analyzed if is in the psychological condition to direct and that the authorities show supporting documentation to referee“, complete.

Leito argued that the action of the 39-year-old referee, a native of San Martín, “is systematic in all fields of Argentine football”, so clubs cannot remain “in idle waiting for an act of violence to occur that must be regretted” .

“Espinoza hurts football and that the AFA supports him goes against what is being promoted in relation to the eradication of violence from the fields of Argentina. It’s not just me who says this: he is unanimously the worst referee in the history of Argentine football.”hill.

Details of the scandal

The game had just begun, as soon as a handful of players made contact with the ball and in an attack, the first of the game, the Tucuman crowd screamed for a penalty that Espinoza didn’t score. The play, which in the replay does not appear to be an infringement, sees Guillermo Acosta fall in front of Maicon Braida’s marking.

Once the game was over and the clock had just struck the first minute of the game, the referee had an unexpected reaction: instead of running into the penalty area, he ran towards the substitutes’ bench with the red card in his hand. The recipient was Lucas Pusineri and Espinoza turned to explain the unequivocal reasons: he put his fingers to his mouth to publicly demonstrate that the DT had passed a certain consideration towards him.

“Go ahead because I’ll take you out with the police”, Espinoza reacted incredibly to Pusineri’s request for explanations, who repeated: “I can’t believe it, I can’t believe it”. What did the referee hear? Difficult to know, impossible to distinguish on a practically full football field. Meanwhile, Espinoza put two fingers on his shoulder to refer to the presence of the police, demanding that the former Independiente be removed from the place.

Espinoza waited for Pusineri to retire and the match was stopped for practically the same amount of time that had elapsed since the initial whistle: one minute and 7 seconds. Unusual.

But the match continued, San Lorenzo going 2-0 up and Atlético Tucumán reaching the discount after a controversial play. Acosta’s shot was deflected by Romero but there was a forward-positioned player who seemed to obstruct goalkeeper Batalla’s view. The VAR suggested Espinoza review the play on the monitor but he maintained his criteria, perhaps knowing he had been too harsh with Pusineri.

The famous law of compensation, an evil that affects arbitration here and there. That same rule that a few minutes later, in the 42nd minute, led the VAR to call Espinoza to see a foul that he had omitted, a jab by Maestro Puch that the referee ended up punishing with a red card. That decision exasperated everyone, including Guillermo Acosta, who argued with the judge and insulted him until he saw the red card.

Two expulsions in one minute, with Pusineri returning from the locker room to maintain confrontation with Espinoza and the public throwing their mobile phone that went viral but also a few stones. A San Lorenzo assistant fell to the ground following these attacks and the match continued to be played.

If Espinoza missed something, it was to argue with the police: he badly got rid of the arm of a policeman who was trying to protect him from assaults from the stands.

The start of the second half was much the same, with another decision difficult to justify without thinking about compensation. Gastón Hernández contested a ball with Renzo Tesuri and the judge concocted an infringement and the red card to the Barcelona defender.

Luckily everyone’s anger was giving way to resignation and the game ended without major incidents.

At the press conference, Pusineri denied having insulted Espinoza and, without wishing to enter into controversy, spoke of past situations that could have influenced his arbitration. In Tucumán he is marked by always booing against them. One of his strongest statements was in Boca vs Atlético last year, momentous in the development of the 2022 championship, when he missed a penalty and after the match it was wrongly suggested that he had made an accomplice comment to Xeneize defender Frank Fabra . But they also remind him of the controversies against Estudiantes, Defensa and River in the Monumental, among others. He will now join the sending offs against San Lorenzo tonight.

The referee left José Fierro without making a statement and perhaps the usual thing will happen, as happened recently when he showed the grass to some Newell’s plate players in a derogatory way or when he had a shouting argument with the Arsenal goalkeeper mid game . He’ll lower his profile for a couple of weeks until he hits the news again for another taunt. The worst mistake a referee can make.