Anderson Barros, Palmeiras’ football executive, held an impassioned press conference at Mangueirão Stadium to criticize the refereeing after a 1-1 draw against Remo, a match in which the Palmeiras side played with an extra man for the entire second half. His anger was directed at the disallowed goal scored by Bruno Fuchs in stoppage time.
In the incident, the ball struck Flaco López’s arm before falling to Fuchs, who finished. Barros, reading from a text on his phone, argued that referee Rafael Klein did not apply the rule correctly.
“According to the International Football Association Board, if the ball accidentally touches the hand or arm of an attacking player and then a teammate scores, the goal is valid. It’s a legal goal. It should only be disallowed if the same player whose hand touched the ball scores immediately afterward, even accidentally. That’s clear,” Barros stated.
“Look at the play: the Remo defender heads the ball onto López’s hand, it goes to Fuchs, and he scores. That’s a goal – two more points for Palmeiras. I ask: who will take responsibility for this? We are reaching a point where we can no longer tolerate this,” he added.
The executive expressed frustration, claiming it was not the first time Palmeiras had lost points earned on the pitch. He also referenced the six-match suspension imposed on coach Abel Ferreira by the STJD (Superior Court of Sports Justice) for indiscipline, suggesting the club is being targeted by a chain of errors.
“The STJD itself did not maintain the same punishment, granting suspensive effects and reducing penalties. We are presenting the reality of what happened – we are being harmed. We won’t allow this kind of behavior, you can be sure of that. I’m not saying anything outrageous, just facts, reading the rule. Today’s officiating, especially the VAR, when they called the referee, committed a gross error that harmed Palmeiras. This is a record. We will not let it happen again,” he emphasized.
“We need urgent action. It’s pointless if we just accept these decisions and errors keep happening. The rule is simple. If they had any doubt, they should have taken time to decide. This is very complicated. We will continue, but we will not let such situations slide,” he concluded.
Despite the draw and the complaints, Palmeiras remains at the top of the Brasileirão standings with 34 points. Their next match is the return leg of the fifth round of the Copa do Brasil against Jacuipense on Wednesday, after a 3-0 home win in the first leg.
