The AFA expelled the referee Diego Abal after the scandal play with the VAR in Gimnasia-Sarmiento

The referee Diego Abal was ultimately rejected by the arbitration board of AFA who drives Frederick Beligoy. The decision to remove him from his post comes after the scandal that arose following a play on the end of the match between Gym AND Sarmiento de Juninin La Plata, when a gross mistake by Abal, responsible for the LAUNCHhe deprived Lupo of a goal that gave them the victory on the hour.

Abal, 51, referee in the elite of Argentine football since 2005 and considered by Fifa between 2008 and 2022, would have received an information letter from Afa to inform him of the news. A decision that was made after several days of meetings, recriminations and protests of all kinds within the institution that he presides over. Claudius Tapia.

In this way, in an almost unprecedented event, at least recently, in the history of arbitration in these latitudes, Abal will cease to be part of the team led by Federico Beligoy for making a mistake in a play.

While awaiting an official communication, the AFA confirmed the news, specifying however that Abal’s farewell was due to a “matter of age”, which seems more like an “elegant” farewell (assuming it can be qualified in that way ) what else.

The episode lays bare not only the scarce presence of Argentine arbitration, but also the internal crisis that exists among those who make up this sphere of this sport at a professional level, where the arrival of the VAR has only fueled suspicions and errors almost constantly. week after week.

In this case, the mistake made by Abal and those who assisted him at the VAR was to tell Ariel Penel, the referee of the match, that there had been an offside action in the Gimnasia goal after a corner kick. A very serious oversight for those who should know the regulations, it is true, but it has brought about unexpected consequences that promise to have a greater impact.

This week a member of the Disciplinary Tribunal even raised the possibility of replaying the match or giving points to Gimnasia, which made a lot of noise in the AFA, especially in the more conservative sector of the via Viamonte house.

The AFA had decided to suspend all referees involved in that match for this date. In addition to Abal and Penel, Diego Carretero had also been punished: he was in the VOR booth as AVAR; Gabriel Favale -supervisor-; participants Ariel Scime and Diana Milone; and the fourth referee, Ramiro López. However, so far, the only one who has been fired is Abal.