Sandez, football that wasn’t there and the VAR controversy in San Lorenzo-Boca: was Tello right to cancel the red light?

The match between Saint Lawrence AND Mouth it was hot, and the great controversy occurred in the 47th minute of the first half, when the referee Facundo Tello Xeneize defender expelled Agostino Sandez after a botched kick on his namesake’s humanity Agostino Giay. A few minutes later, after reviewing the play in the VAR, the referee who was at the World Cup in Qatar 2022 reversed his decision, canceled the red card and ended up giving a yellow card to the youth team led by Jorge Almirón . What happened?

Indeed, Sandez threw himself with unusual violence at his colleague Giay but the kick did not touch the San Lorenzo boy, who also rolled on the grass, making the scene even more spectacular. However, beyond the fact that there wasn’t a blow, the action of the Boca team was a reason for a sanction by Tello. The football environment commonly speaks of “giving or attempting to give” a kick. But what does the regulation say?

Interpretation plays its part in these cases, almost always giving the arbitrators rights in their decisions beyond what is deemed right or wrong. Is that the regulation on the one hand speaks of the infringements of direct free kick and for another of foul play deserving of expulsion.

Rule 12 of the IFAB is the one that refers to the so-called “fouls and misconduct”. And that’s where the famous phrase by “give or try to give”.

On the other hand, the paragraph which speaks of “infractions punishable by expulsion” includes among its variants the “serious hard play (lack of extreme toughness)” but says nothing about it “to give or attempt to give” That’s where the aforementioned interpretation of the referee comes into play, who ended up playing when he saw the VAR monitor.​

“Tackles or disputes with the ball which endangers the physical integrity of an opponent or where the player uses excessive force or brutality shall be penalized as “violent and serious play” (extremely harsh fouls). Any player who attacks an opponent in a challenge for the ball from the front, side or rear, using one or both legs with excessive force or endangering the opponent’s physical integrity, is playing excessively rough.”indicates, verbatim.

Now, did Tello do the right thing? At first glance he thought he saw Sandez’s shot on Giay and sent him off. There the VAR acted correctly in office Hernan Mastrangelo, who must review all dismissals and warned the referee that there was no hit. The referee canceled the expulsion and gave a yellow card to Sandez, who was then replaced.

Tello returned to referee Boca after the scandalous Champions Trophy final, where he drew 10 red cards and Xeneize ended up with 5 expulsions, causing the match to be suspended. Judge then traveled to the World Cup in Qatar, where he put in a fair performance, and in this tournament he officiated several classics, including the one in San Lorenzo against Huracán, in which he conceded a contested penalty at the Globe.