“You have to worry about training them” and “they are not up to the task”: two former FIFA referees analyze the questioned Peruvian arbitration

The post room of these meetings left the debate open. For this reason, El Comercio spoke with Miguel Scime and Winston Reátegui, two former FIFA referees, to answer three questions that all the fans have asked themselves in recent days.

1. Is this the worst moment of Peruvian arbitration? Because?
2. Will the Var help to correct the controversial offsides and expulsions?
3. Was the expulsion of Cabanillas fair?

Miguel Scime, Argentina – Former FIFA Referee

1. I cannot say that Peru’s arbitration is high, medium or low. What I can tell you is that when there are constant errors every weekend in any football game in the world, something is wrong. Therefore, there are options, such as kicking out all the impossible referees; The other thing is that you do have to worry about training a good body of instructors to train the referees. Arbitrating is a process and not an event, and within that process, if the arbitrator is not nourished and trained, we find errors that cause malpractice. If you think that with the VAR you are going to solve it, you are totally dislocated for which the VAR was created.

2. Used well, it can help, but the VAR is an instrument, the most important thing is to use it as little as possible and for that the field referees must be empowered.

3. In the game Augusto Méndez decides to make a decision to expel a player. The rule is totally clear. The legislator separates the grounds for reprimand and, by other means, separates the grounds for expulsion. What I can tell you, the grounds for reprimand are very clear, showing disapproval with words or actions that Cabanillas does is grounds for a reprimand. Unless the referee has seen some profane inquisition towards the person of the referee or assistant, then yes, he is correctly expelled. According to what I observe, from the videos that they sent me, that did not exist. Due to the macro warning, he does not deserve to have received the red card, according to what the rule says. So what would be grounds for expulsion? When the player uses language or acts in an offensive, insulting or humiliating way towards the refereeing team. If someone believes that clapping means expulsion, they are wrong, but if no other event occurred apart from clapping, unfortunately the referee had an excess of authority.

Winston Reategui, Peru – former FIFA referee

1. This year is the worst moment for Peruvian arbitration because they are not up to the task. Arbitration failures not only exist in the big teams, but in most of the games.

2. Definitely yes, I do agree that VAR should be incorporated into the Closing Tournament.

3. Regarding Cabanillas’ play, he did not deserve to be sent off. He should have been warned, simply. He deer well expelled. Regarding the Alianza Lima match: he is offside (Zambrano’s second goal). Why are there these errors? There are several factors that specifically do not come from the training, but from the conditions that must be given to the referees who have an adequate field to be able to train and who receive insurance in Peru. In the country, soccer is professional, the referees are not, and certain factors must be incorporated so that they have better performances.

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