Cruzeiro watching as CBF picks Minas referee for Flamengo v Grêmio | OneFootball

Paulo Zanovelli to Referee This Sunday’s (31st) Match at Maracanã

Flamengo is fighting for the Brasileirão title with Cruzeiro, but the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) does not use the federation criteria of the two contenders when deciding on the refereeing for the competition. In fact, this Thursday (28th), the entity chose Paulo Zanovelli from Minas Gerais to officiate Sunday’s (31st) match between Mengão and Grêmio at Maracanã, for the 22nd round.

So far, Paulo Zanovelli, 35 years old, has refereed only one Flamengo match in the Brasileirão, in the red-black’s 2-1 victory over Mirassol, also at Maracanã. The referee is known for ‘chopping up’ the matches, calling many fouls. In the clash with the team from the interior of São Paulo, the referee from Minas Gerais called 36 fouls (23 by Mengo and 12 by the São Paulo side).

HAS PAULO ZANOVELLI BEEN INVOLVED IN CONTROVERSIES IN FLAMENGO MATCHES?

The referee has been involved in two controversies with Flamengo. In a match against Ceará at Maracanã, in the 2022 Brasileirão, Paulo sent off Gabigol in stoppage time. The striker was fouled, tried to take a quick free kick, and got irritated with the opponent who tried to interfere. However, Gabriel did not hit the Ceará player, despite a brusque movement to pass the ball to Arrascaeta. The referee didn’t like it and gave him a second yellow card, in a match that ended 1-1.

Last year, Paulo Zanovelli’s performance led to statements from Flamengo officials. In the 1-1 draw with Bragantino, in Bragança Paulista, the referee gave a red card after a foul by Luan Cândido on De La Cruz, but after being called by VAR, changed it to a yellow. In addition, Mengão complained about a penalty not given to Luiz Araújo, who was pulled inside the box.

— The interference comes through the phones. Interference that says whether it was or wasn’t, what they think. This interpretation has to come from the person who is there at the moment. I’ll even make a suggestion: once you enter the VAR room, you can’t have a cell phone, you can’t have any communication in there that isn’t pertinent to the job — said Marcos Braz, then an official at Flamengo.

— It’s absurd. What happened here today is absurd. We need to perform, to deserve to win. I think we deserved a better result today. If there had been a sending off at the start of the match, it would have completely changed the game. The penalty on Luiz Araújo too. If the criteria there was to overturn the sending off, then the penalty should have been given there (with VAR review) — added Bruno Spindel, then Flamengo executive.

WHEN IS FLAMENGO VS GRÊMIO?

With Paulo Zanovelli in charge, Flamengo and Grêmio face off from 4pm (Brasília time) on Sunday (31st), at Maracanã. If Mengão is on the field, then, Coluna do Fla will provide special coverage, with information and videos on the website, social media, and YouTube.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.