EVERYBODY WANTS TO BE THE GABIGOL! JUDGE IMITATES FLAMENGO'S PLAYER

The judge of the clash between Paysando and Náutico, this Sunday (13), celebrates his performance with a Gabigol pose. Felipe Fernandes Lima was inspired by the playmaker after expelling two players from the field. Netizens were not satisfied with the referee's work and criticized celebration as a lack of professionalism.

Felipe Fernandes whistled the last Paysandu X Náutico match for the C Series of the Carioca Championship. At a certain point in the game, the referee had to separate a confusion involving players Mário Sérgio, from Paysandu, and lateral Diego Ferreira, from Náutico.

Amidst complaints from both teams, both were expelled, not before the referee performed Gabigol's pose. The gesture of raising the arms and flexing them at the same time is, in general, something known as a celebration of Flamengo's number 10 shirt.

Internet users thus assumed that Fernandes was celebrating his own performance with the pose, before raising the two red cards. For some, the attitude was unprofessional and criticized. This was one of the many controversies involving the refereeing team of the match.

Felipe Fernandes had to go public after the game, through a summary. In this, he did not explain the gesture, as expected, but justified the expulsion of Mario and Diego. According to the referee, the card was given for mutual offenses that included profanity. He reported that both "resisted leaving the field of play, confronting each other, having to be restrained by their teammates and opposing athletes".