Copa America 2019: Argentine FA file official complaint over ‘gross refereeing errors’ during Brazil defeat

Argentina’s semi-final defeat to Brazil led captain Lionel Messi to deem the officiating ‘crazy’

The Argentine Football Association has filed an official complaint to South American football’s governing body over “serious and gross refereeing errors” in Argentina’s Copa America semi-final defeat to Brazil.

Argentina exited the tournament with a 2-0 loss against hosts Brazil this week, and certain incidents in the match led captain Lionel Messi to claim: “The officiating was crazy. [The referee] was on their side.”

The Barcelona forward believed that Ecuadorian referee Roddy Zambrano failed to award “clear penalties” for fouls on Nicolas Otamendi and Sergio Aguero, and the Argentine FA shared Messi’s opinion.

President Claudio Tapia sent a six-page letter to Conmebol, in which he wrote that Zambrano “unjustifiably omitted the use of VAR in at least two specific moves that clearly influenced the final result of the match.”

Tapia also suggested that “ethics, loyalty and transparency” had not been observed in the semi-final, and was critical of Brazil’s president Jair Bolsonaro, who performed a “lap of honour” around the stadium in Belo Horizonte.

Tapia deemed the act a “clear political demonstration”, the likes of which are prohibited at sporting events according to Fifa and Conmebol rules.

Argentina’s defeat to Brazil means their wait for a Copa America crown extends to 26 years.

Brazil are set to face Peru in the competition’s final on Sunday, and are seeking their first Copa America title since 2007.

Opponents Peru have not won the tournament since 1975.