Fernando Rapallini, referee who signed Boca World

The classic in Avellaneda between Racing Y Mouth ended with a controversial move in the last moment of a fun match, with the best local team at the start and the visit taking ownership of the end of the match after a hot first half that included a fight between Darío Benedetto and Carlos Zambrano. But Fernando Rapallini’s mistake, not to sanction a penalty at the hands of Jonathan Gómez, has overturned everything. And he condensed the 90-minute analysis into those 15 seconds of play.

The VAR, Fernando Espinoza’s manager of the Ezeiza property, did its job. He summoned the judge to review the game. And even if they didn’t show him the best replays he had available on the screen – even the one that went viral of an alleged foul by Villa is from an external television camera, not from the broadcast -, it was Rapallini who supported his sentence. .to consider that the hand was not voluntary.

Did the atmosphere intimidate you? Did you consider that there was a previous infringement on the part of Villa? Was there a hand in Colombian? Neither of the latter two alternatives have been commented on by the Boca players who have claimed responsibility for the decision. Even the host bank was certain that a fine would be charged for what was heard in the whispers of the talks between the judges … But Rapallini said no.

Then social media, an immediate space for collective catharsis, were flooded with complaints, images, photos, gifs and conspiracy theories. All in a matter of minutes, giving up the other 90 odd minutes that had the classic appeal. The last moment eclipsed it. And from the side of La Ribera the figure of Rapallini emerged, beyond the fact that the voices of the protagonists were measured (knowing that the biggest criticism was simply reviewing the videos of the incident) and that they did not try to feed suspicion.

marked cards

But in the World Cup archive, Boca Rapallini is a judge who has been scored. Because it was in 2018, after a draw against Huracán at Parque Patricios, when Guillermo Barros Schelotto has decided to leave a mark on the Boca audience. “You played for River in that final, not for the law,” wielded the then blue and gold DT in the face and in front of the cameras to the referee of that day, in which Huracán drew with controversy.

Although that result was the least relevant for the coach, he used the stage to remind him of the final he lost to River in Mendoza that year with mistakes that Boca understood hurt him. In every Rapallini appointment, the episode returned to the mind of Boca World.

In that same game the judge he had crossed paths with Fernando Gago (Racing’s DT) who later said the referee was making fun of the youth footballers who were on the pitch that day at the Ducó.

There was another episode marked by Boca with the same referee. It was the Superclásico of 2021, at the Monumental, that had a decisive impact. Because 15 minutes before the start of that match, Rapallini himself – who will be a World Cup player in Qatar 2022 – Marcos Rojo sent off for a double yellow card who was questioned ad nauseam in Boca for the overturning that gave that decision at the start of the classic. Nobody has forgotten it.

With the classic between Independiente and River also crossed by controversy (the judge was invited to review a possible penalty by Barreto on Borja but he felt it was not a penalty) and an error, but he was rewarded for his performance with the another classic plus afternoon of the week.

Could it be that Rapallini tries to mark his authority without listening to the recommendations of the VAR? In Ezeiza, video arbitrators are starting to worry about it.